EASYCATALOG

FOR ADOBE INDESIGN

USER GUIDE
65bit Software Ltd

Revision History
Version

Date

Remarks

2.0.0

13 July 2005

First draft for InDesign CS2 modifications.

2.0.1

8 Nov. 2005

Synchronised English and French versions of manual

2.1.0

13 March 2006

2.1.1

25 May 2006

3.0.0

6 July 2007

3.0.1

12 October 2007

3.0.2

18 March 2008

3.0.3

16 January 2009

Added new features added since 18 March

5.0.0

1 October 2010

Modifications for CS5 version, addition of Custom Fields reference

6.0.0

14 June 2012

Modifications for the release of EasyCatalog 2.1

Addition of chapter for the EasyCatalog Record Panel
Added functionality from Release Notes, new CS3 release.
Added missing Fill Proportionally picture import option
Modifications to fix grammatical problems, clarification on some points.

Modifications for CS6 version, additional functions added to Custom Fields reference, Pagination
Rules Reference.

Copyright 2005 - 2012 65bit Software Limited. All Rights reserved. Reproduction or copying prohibited.
Adobe and InDesign are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States
and/or other countries.
All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 GETTING STARTED.......................................... 17
Welcome......................................................................................... 17
What is EasyCatalog?.................................................................... 17
Demo Version................................................................................. 19
Purchasing EasyCatalog................................................................ 19
Activating EasyCatalog.................................................................. 19
Common Activation Errors............................................................. 20
Transferring an Activation............................................................... 21
Keeping Up To Date....................................................................... 22
Support Questions......................................................................... 22
Integration opportunities................................................................ 22
Resellers......................................................................................... 22
Package Contents.......................................................................... 23
Editing Documents Without EasyCatalog Loaded......................... 24

CHAPTER 2 IMPORTING YOUR DATA................................. 25

Introduction.................................................................................... 25
Data Provider Modules................................................................... 25
Importing Your Data....................................................................... 26
Importing From a File..................................................................... 26
Formatting Fields................................................................. 29
Importing the Data.......................................................................... 29
Common Errors and Warnings....................................................... 29
Data Caching And The Workspace Folder..................................... 32
Specifying a Workspace Folder........................................... 32
Deleting a Data Source.................................................................. 32

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 3 FIELD OPTIONS............................................... 33

Introduction.................................................................................... 33
Editing Field Options...................................................................... 33
The Field Options Dialog................................................................ 34
Field Format................................................................................... 34
Alphanumeric....................................................................... 34
Formatted........................................................... 35
HTML.................................................................. 35
Ignore White Space Changes............................. 36
Number................................................................................ 36
General options.............................................................................. 37
Currency............................................................................... 37
Custom Formats.................................................................. 37
Formatting String................................................................. 38
Formatting String Samples................................. 38
Hyperlink.............................................................................. 40
Imported Text....................................................................... 40
General Formatting Options........................................................... 41
Style..................................................................................... 41
Prefix.................................................................................... 42
Suffix.................................................................................... 42
Cleansing Options................................................................ 42
Regular Expressions........................................... 43
Importing Cleansing Options............................................... 43
InDesign Metacharacters/Special Characters..................... 43
Picture Import Options................................................................... 45
Image File Location Attributes............................................. 47
Importing Images from a File System.................................. 47
Extension.............................................................................. 47
Replacement Image............................................................. 49
Database Update........................................................................... 49
Advanced Options.......................................................................... 50
Source Data Number Format............................................... 50
Field Group........................................................................... 50
Language............................................................................. 51
Exclude from Update Panel............................................... 51
Exclude from Update Document........................................ 51
Fill Down On Synchronize.................................................... 51
Flag Empty Pictures as Errors.............................................. 52
Importing and Exporting Field Options.......................................... 52
Export................................................................................... 52
Import................................................................................... 52

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 4 FIELD FORMATTING TAGS.............................. 53

Introduction.................................................................................... 53
Default Formatting Tags................................................................. 54
Defining Formatting Tags............................................................... 55
Status Column..................................................................... 55
Tag........................................................................................ 55
Action................................................................................... 55
Creating a new Tag......................................................................... 56
Editing a tag................................................................................... 57
Deleting a tag................................................................................. 57
Exporting Tag Definitions............................................................... 57
Importing Tag Definitions................................................................ 57

CHAPTER 5 EASYCATALOG PANELS.................................. 59

Introduction.................................................................................... 59
Opening a new EasyCatalog Data Panel....................................... 59
Panel Overview............................................................................... 60
The InDesign Window menu........................................................ 61
Table Rows..................................................................................... 61
The Status Column.............................................................. 61
Status Colours..................................................................... 62
Finding Fields in the Document...................................................... 62
Placed Fields........................................................................ 62
Error...................................................................................... 62
Selecting Rows and Fields............................................................. 63
Field Selection...................................................................... 63
Row Selection...................................................................... 63
Marquee Selection............................................................... 63
Editing Data In The Panel............................................................... 64
Reordering Rows............................................................................ 64
Sorting.................................................................................. 64
Sub-sorting.......................................................................... 64
Manually re-ordering rows................................................... 64
Reordering Columns...................................................................... 65
Showing and Hiding Columns........................................................ 65
Fixing the Position of Columns...................................................... 65
Grouping Data................................................................................ 66
Creating Groups............................................................................. 66
Grouping Configuration Dialog....................................................... 66
Adding a field to the grouping.............................................. 66
Removing a field from the grouping..................................... 67
Display alternative field as header...................................... 67
Grouped Panels.............................................................................. 68
How Sorting and Reordering Can Help With Pagination............... 68
Locking a Panel.............................................................................. 69

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 5
(CONTINUED)

Loading and Saving Panel Configurations..................................... 69

Saving a panel configuration................................................ 69
Loading a panel configuration.............................................. 70
Exporting and importing panel configurations..................... 70
Defining a Default Panel Configuration.......................................... 70
Closing a Panel.............................................................................. 71
Hiding a panel...................................................................... 71
Closing a Panel.................................................................... 71
Creating a New View of the Data................................................... 71

CHAPTER 6 FILTERING DATA.............................................. 73

Introduction.................................................................................... 73
Filtering on field content................................................................. 73
Search Entire Data............................................................... 74
Search Currently Shown Items............................................ 74
Save As................................................................................ 74
Match All (logical and)........................................................ 74
Match Any One (logical or)................................................. 74
Show Entire Group............................................................... 74
Advanced Subsets......................................................................... 75
Show Items That Are Flagged As......................................... 75
Show Items That.................................................................. 76
Saved Subsets............................................................................... 76
Applying a saved filter.......................................................... 76
Deleting filter definitions....................................................... 76
Automatically Creating Queries...................................................... 77
Removing a Filter From a Panel..................................................... 77

CHAPTER 7 SYNCHRONIZING............................................ 79
Introduction.................................................................................... 79
Getting the Latest Data.................................................................. 79
Synchronizing With a Different File................................................. 80
Updating the Document................................................................. 80
Updating a Book............................................................................ 81
Checking For Errors....................................................................... 81
Text Content......................................................................... 81
Picture Content.................................................................... 81
How Document Formatting Is Preserved....................................... 82
Updating the Panel from the Document......................................... 83
All......................................................................................... 83
Selection.............................................................................. 83
With Document Selection.................................................... 83
Updating Page Numbers................................................................ 84
Updating Data with Page Positions............................................... 86
Updating the Data Source.............................................................. 87

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 8 PAGINATION BASICS...................................... 89

Introduction.................................................................................... 89
Single Field Insertion...................................................................... 89
Inserting text........................................................................ 89
Working with Field Markers................................ 90
Inserting Pictures................................................................. 91
Missing Images................................................... 91
Showing and Hiding Field Markers................................................ 92
Linking a Document to a new Data-source (Field Adoption).......... 93
Replacing Field Content................................................................. 94
Removing Field Markers................................................................. 94
All......................................................................................... 94
From Panel Selection........................................................... 94
From Document Selection................................................... 94
Markup Field................................................................................... 95

CHAPTER 9 TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES......................... 97

Introduction.................................................................................... 97
Data Placeholders (Field Specifiers)............................................... 97
Inserting Field Specifiers................................................................ 98
Converting Field Markers to Field Specifiers............................... 101
Text Field Markers.............................................................. 101
Picture Field Markers......................................................... 101
Designing a Template................................................................... 102
Populating a Template.................................................................. 103
EasyCatalog Libraries.................................................................. 104
Creating an EasyCatalog Library....................................... 104
Working With EasyCatalog Libraries............................................ 105
Designing Your Product Style............................................ 105
Paginating the Style........................................................... 106
Associating Product Styles with Records.................................... 107
Pagination Attributes.................................................................... 108
Automatically Adjusting the Size of Boxes....................... 108
Deleting boxes .................................................................. 108
Bringing Boxes to the Front .............................................. 108

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 10 TABLES.......................................................... 109

Introduction.................................................................................. 109
Simple Tables............................................................................... 109
Inserting a new table.......................................................... 109
Inserting into an existing table........................................... 110
EasyCatalog Tables...................................................................... 111
Designing the Table............................................................ 111
Populating the Table........................................................... 113
Tables within Templates..................................................... 113
Advanced Table Options.................................................... 114
Tables within EasyCatalog Libraries................................... 114
Group Header and Footer Rows....................... 115
Removing Empty Rows.................................... 117
Automatically Merging cells.............................. 117
Ignoring Empty Cells.......................................................... 117
Removing Empty Columns............................... 119
Automatically Resizing Columns...................... 121
Automatically applying Cell Styles..................................... 122

CHAPTER 11 AUTOMATIC PAGINATION............................. 123

Introduction.................................................................................. 123
Pagination Stages........................................................................ 123
Types of Pagination...................................................................... 124
Into Text Flow..................................................................... 124
At Positions Specified in the Data.................................... 124
At Page Guide Positions.................................................. 124
Using Master Pages......................................................... 124
Configure the Panel.................................................................. 125
Acquire or import source data........................................... 126
Filter your data................................................................... 126
Group your Data................................................................. 126
Sort your Data.................................................................... 127
Create your Product Styles...................................................... 127
Creating a Library for Automatic Pagination...................... 127
Inserting one Product Style per record............. 128
Group Product Styles / Group Headers............ 128
Paginate.................................................................................... 129
Text Flow Pagination.......................................................... 129
Configuring Your Pagination Document........... 130
Positional Pagination.......................................................... 132
Configuring Your Pagination Document........... 133
Guide-Based Pagination.................................................... 133
Configuring Your Pagination Document........... 136

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 11
(CONTINUED)

Choosing Product Styles based on Field Content............. 137

Using the Asset Name field on the
Pagination Dialog.............................................. 137
Using the Ignore Pagination Rule................... 137
Using Master Pages Pagination....................................... 138
Configuring Your Pagination Document........... 141
Creating an Index......................................................................... 142

CHAPTER 12 PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE........ 143

Introduction.................................................................................. 143
Showing the Pagination Rules Panel........................................... 143
Using the Pagination Rules Panel................................................ 143
Attributes............................................................................ 143
Actions............................................................................... 143
Editing Attributes.......................................................................... 144
Applying Pagination Rules........................................................... 144
Attribute Reference...................................................................... 145
Paginate............................................................................. 145
Group Name....................................................................... 146
Insert.................................................................................. 146
Paragraph Style.................................................................. 147
Append Return................................................................... 147
Force Break........................................................................ 148
Prevent Break..................................................................... 149
Fitting................................................................................. 149
Fit Content to Frame......................................... 150
Grow and Flow................................................ 151
Release Anchored Objects................................................. 152
Ungroup............................................................................. 152
Usage................................................................................. 153
Position Index.................................................................... 154
Continuation....................................................................... 155
Remove Blank Lines for Empty Fields............................... 155
Strip White Space.............................................................. 155
Apply Object Style From Field........................................... 156
Apply Swatch From Field................................................... 156
When Frame Is Empty........................................................ 156
Page Orientation................................................................ 156
Populate Tables.................................................................. 157
Keep With Next.................................................................. 157
Repeat................................................................................ 157

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 12
(CONTINUED)

Actions......................................................................................... 158
Creating and Editing Actions............................................. 158
Bring to Front.................................................... 159
Delete................................................................ 159
Show/Hide........................................................ 159
Ignore................................................................ 160
Special Field Names.......................................................... 160

CHAPTER 13 CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE..................... 161

Introduction.................................................................................. 161
Creating a New Custom Field...................................................... 161
Types of Functions....................................................................... 162
Combining Functions................................................................... 163
Types of Parameter...................................................................... 163
What is the difference between FIELDSTR and FIELDVAL?........ 163
String Functions........................................................................... 164
SUBSTR............................................................................. 164
LEFTSTR............................................................................ 164
RIGHTSTR.......................................................................... 164
PARTSTR............................................................................ 165
EAN13................................................................................ 165
EAN8.................................................................................. 165
LOWER............................................................................... 166
UPPER............................................................................... 166
CONCAT............................................................................. 166
REGEX................................................................................ 167
STRIPWHITESPACE........................................................... 167
TITLECASE......................................................................... 167
SENTENCECASE............................................................... 168
LENGTH............................................................................. 168
INDEXOF............................................................................ 169
LASTINDEXOF................................................................... 170
COUNTOF.......................................................................... 170
CONTAINSANY.................................................................. 171
CONTAINSALL................................................................... 171
CHAR................................................................................. 172
URLENCODE/URLDECODE.............................................. 172
DISTINCTLIST.................................................................... 173
REMOVEBLANKLINES....................................................... 173
FIELDSTR........................................................................... 174
FIELDVAL........................................................................... 174
LITERAL............................................................................. 174
I2OF5.................................................................................. 174

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 13
(CONTINUED)

Math Functions............................................................................. 175

CODE128........................................................................... 175
MUL.................................................................................... 175
DIV...................................................................................... 175
MOD................................................................................... 176
SUM................................................................................... 176
SUB.................................................................................... 177
MIN..................................................................................... 177
MAX.................................................................................... 178
AVG.................................................................................... 178
Logic Functions............................................................................ 179
DECTOFRAC...................................................................... 179
COMPARESTR................................................................... 179
IF........................................................................................ 180
AND.................................................................................... 181
OR...................................................................................... 181
Group Functions........................................................................... 182
NOT.................................................................................... 182
GROUPLIST....................................................................... 182
GROUPSUM...................................................................... 183
GROUPRTOTAL................................................................. 183
GROUPAVG........................................................................ 184
GROUPMAX....................................................................... 184
GROUPMIN........................................................................ 185
GROUPFIRST..................................................................... 185
GROUPLAST...................................................................... 186
GROUPSEQUENCE........................................................... 186
GROUPCOUNTUNIQUE.................................................... 187
GROUPCOUNT.................................................................. 187
GROUPSERIES.................................................................. 188
GROUPONCHANGE.......................................................... 188
GROUPISFIRST................................................................. 189
GROUPISLAST.................................................................. 189
GROUPSERIESONFIELDCHANGE.................................... 190
GROUPNUMBERSEQUENCE............................................ 190
GROUPXREFFIELD............................................................ 191
Utility Functions............................................................................ 194
SNIPPETDEPTH/SNIPPETWIDTH..................................... 194
GROUPSNIPPETDEPTH.................................................... 194
GOOGLEQRCODEURL...................................................... 195
CALLSCRIPT...................................................................... 195
DOESIMAGEEXIST............................................................ 195
GETNTHPOPULATEDPARAM............................................ 196
XREFFIELD......................................................................... 196

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 14 CONDITIONAL PROCESSING....................... 197

Introduction.................................................................................. 197
The IF Command........................................................................ 197
Alphanumeric Fields........................................................... 198
Numeric Fields................................................................... 198
The ELSE Command.................................................................. 199
Nesting IF Commands..................................................... 199
Special Field Names..................................................................... 199
Valid Operators................................................................... 199
Error Messages............................................................................ 200
Type Mismatch Error.......................................................... 200
@@if without matching @@endif........................................ 201
Too many @@elses........................................................... 201
Illegal number of tokens..................................................... 201

CHAPTER 15 PAGE HEADERS............................................ 203

Introduction.................................................................................. 203
Defining Furniture......................................................................... 203
Populating Furniture..................................................................... 204

CHAPTER 16 THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL...................... 205

Introduction.................................................................................. 205
The Record Viewer Panel Overview............................................. 205
Finding Records........................................................................... 206
Moving Sequentially through the records.......................... 206
By Index number................................................................ 206
Filtering Records................................................................ 207
Key Fields..................................................... 207
Text............................................................... 207
Expression.................................................... 207
Selection....................................................... 208
Range........................................................... 208
Interaction with EasyCatalog Panels............................................ 208
Inserting Fields............................................................................. 208
Text Selection..................................................................... 209
Picture-box Selection......................................................... 209
Inserting Multiple Records........................................................... 210
Automatically Inserting Text............................................... 210
Automatically Inserting Table Rows................................... 211

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CONTENTS
The Record Viewer Panel Menu................................................... 212
Insert Field.......................................................................... 212
Show/Hide Field Markers................................................... 212
Synchronize with Data Source........................................... 212
Data Source Info................................................................ 212
Update Document.............................................................. 212
All...................................................................... 213
Selection........................................................... 213
Copy and Repeat............................................................... 213
Field Options...................................................................... 213
About.................................................................................. 213

CHAPTER 17 TEMPLATE DATA SOURCES......................... 215

Introduction.................................................................................. 215
Creating a Data Source Template................................................ 215
Opening A New Data Source From a Template........................... 217
File-based Data Sources.................................................... 217
ODBC Data Sources.......................................................... 217
Modifying A Data Source Template.............................................. 217
Deleting A Data Source Template................................................ 217

CHAPTER 18 REPORTS....................................................... 219

Introduction.................................................................................. 219
Report Types................................................................................ 219
Data Source Report........................................................... 219
Panel Report...................................................................... 219
Document Report............................................................... 219
XML Reports................................................................................ 220

CHAPTER 19 APPLICATION PREFERENCES...................... 221

Introduction.................................................................................. 221
The Workspace Folder................................................................. 221
Content Tracking.......................................................................... 222
Enable Content Tracking.................................................... 222
Dynamically Update Panel................................................. 222
Synchronize Panel After Update........................................ 223
Allow Pagination to be undoable................................................. 223
Data Source Defaults................................................................... 223
HTTP Authentication.................................................................... 224
HTTP Proxy.................................................................................. 224
Keyboard Shortcuts..................................................................... 224

CHAPTER 20

MENU REFERENCE...................................... 225

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PAGE 15

GETTING STARTED

CHAPTER 1

GETTING STARTED
WELCOME

WHAT IS
EASYCATALOG?

Thank you for evaluating EasyCatalog for Adobe InDesign.

65bit Software are committed to providing high quality software for
Adobe InDesign, and appreciate the time you have taken to evaluate
our product. All feedback is welcome, good or bad. Please email
any comments to [email protected]. We promise to respond to
every one!
EasyCatalog is a complete database publishing solution, and provides
a bi-drectional link between data from a variety of sources to content
in an InDesign document. Any changes made in the document may
be reflected back to the original source of the data.
Document content is constantly tracked, enabling you to determine
which records and fields are placed. Document tracking offers a
number of benefits:

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Increased productivity:

Data can be acquired from a variety of data sources

quickly and efficiently. Time is not spent re-keying or
importing data.

Errors are reduced, as data on the page is coming

directly from the data source without being rekeyed.

Errors are detected. EasyCatalog can highlight

all fields that differ to the original data, and either
automatically correct them or highlight them for
manual correction in the document.

Data can be filtered and grouped to only show data

relevant to a particular section of the publication, for
instance. Filtering your data reduces the amount of
time spent searching through data that is not relevant
to the task youre currently performing.

Data that has been changed on the database can

be updated in the document instantly ideal for
deadline-critical publications.

Records can be dragged and dropped to the page

using pre-defined templates stored in libraries.
Placeholders in the templates show EasyCatalog
where and how each field should appear, and

PAGE 17

GETTING STARTED

WHAT IS
EASYCATALOG?
(CONTINUED)

complex page layouts containing live linked data

can be constructed in seconds.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Powerful pagination facilities

EasyCatalog contains of wealth of facilities for both data
driven and design driven publications.

Formatting may be applied to fields, ensuring that

all prices, for instance, appear in a consistent format
throughout the publication. Any prices that do not
obey these formatting rules will be highlighted as
part of the error-checking procedure.

Library styles may be defined for records, ensuring

records appear in a consistent manner. See
Templates and Libraries

EasyCatalog offers powerful tabular data functionality,

allowing tables to be created from your data at the
click of a button.

Using the optional pagination module, EasyCatalog

can automatically create a flow of several hundred
pages.

EasyCatalog leverages the typographical and layout

features of InDesign, so the layout and style of your
publication doesnt have to suffer.

Reduced cost of ownership

EasyCatalog is a front-end for existing databases

you purchase the plug-in and we, or a systems
integrator, provide Data Provider plug-ins to access
your data. Data can be imported from a delimited
file (such as a comma or tab-delimited file), ODBC
database or an XML file.

As there is no new production database to integrate

with, there will be no integration issues, or unwanted
database licenses.

As EasyCatalog is tightly integrated with Adobe

InDesign, there is no new application environment
to learn.

PAGE 18

GETTING STARTED

DEMO VERSION

Your EasyCatalog plug-in will run in demo mode until a valid

registration code is entered. The EasyCatalog trial is valid for thirty
days from the date it is first run.
Thank you for taking time to evaluate EasyCatalog if you have any
questions or would like further information, please visit our web site
at www.65bit.com.
We are here to help you with during your evaluation so if you have
any questions whatsoever, please contact us using the support form
at our website:
http://www.65bit.com/support/support.shtm
We aim to respond to all enquiries within one working day of receiving
them.
Whilst you are evaluating EasyCatalog, the About EasyCatalog
dialog will appear each time you launch InDesign showing the
number of days remaining in your trial period.

PURCHASING
EASYCATALOG

If youve purchased or downloaded EasyCatalog from one of our

partners, please obtain your serial number through them. Alternatively
if you downloaded from the 65bit web site, serial numbers can be
purchased through our web-store:
http://www.65bit.com/purchase/purchase.shtm
Serial numbers purchased via our web-store will be issued on
completion of the credit card transaction, and will activate in around
5 - 10 minutes.

The number of days remaining

in your trial period are shown in
the About EasyCatalog dialog.
Once you have purchased
a serial number, use the
Activate button to activate
your copy of EasyCatalog.

ACTIVATING
EASYCATALOG

Following purchase, you will be supplied with a serial number for

each of the modules that you have purchased.
EasyCatalog uses internet activation to validate your license codes,
which typically takes a few seconds to process. Once registered, all
limitations of the demo version will be lifted.
Internet activation offers many advantages, including the ability to
purchase additional licenses at a later date whilst retaining the same

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PAGE 19

GETTING STARTED

ACTIVATING
EASYCATALOG
(CONTINUED)

serial number. Internet activation also helps to ensure that you do

not unintentionally violate your EasyCatalog license agreement.
To activate, select About EasyCatalog from the InDesign application
menu (on the Macintosh), or from Help menu (on Windows).
When the About EasyCatalog dialog appears, press the Activate
button to enter the serial numbers you have been issued. The
serial number should be entered exactly as it appears in your order
confirmation email, including the hyphens.
If you have an active internet connection, your serial number will be
validated on our servers and your software will activate after a few
seconds.
Activating without an Internet Connection
If you do not have an active internet connection, alternative options
will be offered after you have entered your serial number:
Activation using a web-browser on your InDesign machine
Activation using a web-browser on another machine (with a valid
internet connection).
On-screen instructions will step you through the above processes:
the website you are sent to will issue you with an Activation Code,
which should be entered into the Manual Activation wizard that
appears.

COMMON
ACTIVATION ERRORS

An attempt was made to activate an unknown serial number.

If you have recently purchased this serial number, please wait
around 15 minutes before trying again. If the problem persists,
please contact your vendor.
The most common cause of this error is entering the serial number
incorrectly. Please ensure that you enter the complete serial number
(including all dashes). EasyCatalog serial numbers do not contain
the letters I, O, U or Z as these can be confused for other
characters. Try copying and pasting the serial number from your
order confirmation email into the activation dialog.
Sometimes, if youve recently purchased the serial number through
our web store, you may need to wait 10 - 15 minutes before the serial
number will activate.
An attempt was made to activate a blacklisted serial number.
The serial number you have entered has been blacklisted and cannot
be used to activate EasyCatalog. Please contact the vendor who
sold the license for further information.

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GETTING STARTED

COMMON
ACTIVATION ERRORS
(CONTINUED)

An activation attempt failed due to the maximum number of allowable activations being met.
The number of allowable activations for this serial numbers has
now been reached and this EasyCatalog serial number cannot be
activated. If you are installing onto a new machine, please ensure
that you de-activate your serial number and wait 10 - 15 minutes
before attempting to activate on your new machine. If you need
further assistance please contact us using the support form:
http://www.65bit.com/support/support.shtm
An error occurred trying to install the eSellerate engine. Please
purchase via the Web store or contact [email protected] for
more information.
The e-commerce component of EasyCatalog (eSellerate) could not
be installed. The most common cause of this issue is insufficient user
privileges. Please try temporarily logging in as an Administrator on
the machine to activate EasyCatalog.
On Windows Vista and WIndows 7 machines, right click on the
InDesign application icon and select Run as Administrator. Once
registered, InDesign can be started without Administrator privileges.
In the event of this error persisting, please download and install the
eSellerate Engine from:
http://shopper.esellerate.net/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5620

TRANSFERRING AN
ACTIVATION

Activations cannot be transferred in the CS2

version of EasyCatalog.
An active internet connection is required to
transfer an activation.

To transfer an activation for all registered modules, press the

Deactivate button on the About EasyCatalog dialog.
To transfer an activation for an individual module, highlight the serial
number that you would like to transfer in the list of active modules
and press the Deactivate button.

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GETTING STARTED

TRANSFERRING AN
ACTIVATION

Transfer an activation using

the Deactivate button. This
button will only be available
when all modules shown in the
list are activated.

(CONTINUED)

To deactivate a specific serial

number, select it in the list and
then press the Deactivate
button.

After a few seconds your serial number will deactivate and you should
be able to activate the serial number on another machine in around 5
- 10 minutes.
If you have any problems with activation, please contact us using the
support form at our website:
http://www.65bit.com/support/support

KEEPING UP TO DATE

Periodically, bug fixes and enhancements are released on our

website. Please use the Check for Updates button on the About
EasyCatalog dialog to ensure that you are always running the latest
version of EasyCatalog.

SUPPORT
QUESTIONS

All support issues should, in the first instance, be directed to

your system integrator or local reseller. Alternatively, visit us at
www.65bit.com, or contact us using the support form at our
website:
http://www.65bit.com/support/support.shtm

INTEGRATION
OPPORTUNITIES

EasyCatalog has been designed for easy integration into third- party
database and asset management systems. Systems integrators
who are interested in integration opportunities should contact us at
[email protected].

RESELLERS

Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in reselling

EasyCatalog, or are considering including EasyCatalog as part of
your solution.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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GETTING STARTED

PACKAGE CONTENTS

The complete suite of EasyCatalog plug-ins consists of:

Plug-In
EasyCatalog
EasyCatalog UI

Availability

Purpose

CS2 - CS6

The main Adobe InDesign plug-in. This plugin is responsible for much of the functionality
outlined in this manual.

EasyCatalog
Pagination
CS2 - CS6
EasyCatalog
Pagination UI

This plug-in provides more advanced,

automated, pagination functionality and
allows multiple products to be placed in the
document automatically.
This plug-in is optional, and must be
purchased separately.
The power of EasyCatalog is now scriptable
via
JavaScript, AppleScript (on the
Macintosh platform) and VBScript (on the

EasyCatalog
Scripting

CS2 - CS6

Windows platform).

This plug-in is optional, and must be

purchased separately.
Documentation for the scripting module is
available separately.

Data Providers
Plug-In
EasyCatalog File
Data Provider
EasyCatalog File
Data Provider UI

Availability

Purpose

CS2 - CS6

The default data-import provider, this plug-in

is responsible for loading and parsing your
data files.
Plug-in responsible for connecting directly
to an ODBC data source, such as an SQL
database.

EasyCatalog ODBC
Data Provider
CS2 - CS6
EasyCatalog ODBC
Data Provider UI

EasyCatalog XML
Data Provider
CS3 - CS6
EasyCatalog XML
Data Provider UI

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

This plug-in is optional, and must be

purchased separately. Documentation for
the ODBC Data Provider is also available
separately.
The XML Data Provider provides the ability
to import XML files. The XML Data Provider
uses XPath to define where each record and
field can be extracted from the XML.
This plug-in is optional, and must be
purchased separately. Documentation for
the XML Data Provider is also available
separately.

PAGE 23

GETTING STARTED

PACKAGE CONTENTS

Plug-In

(CONTINUED)

Availability

EasyCatalog
Relational
CS3 - CS6
EasyCatalog
Relational UI

EDITING DOCUMENTS
WITHOUT
EASYCATALOG
LOADED

Purpose
The Relational Module enables EasyCatalog
to work with complex, relational, data
structures. Multiple data sources can also
be combined into a single panel.
The Relational Module also allows SQLite
database files to be used as a data source.
This plug-in is optional, and must be
purchased separately. Documentation for
the XML Data Provider is also available
separately.

Documents created with EasyCatalog can be opened and edited

in a copy of InDesign that does not have the EasyCatalog plug-ins
loaded. However, any changes made to the content of the document
may cause problems if the document is subsequently re-opened in
EasyCatalog.

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in

broken links in your document. If you have any
questions please contact us using the support
form on the website.

If you have users that need to edit the content of EasyCatalogcreated documents that must later be used in EasyCatalog - either:
Install the demo version of EasyCatalog on the editing machine.
This will ensure that all EasyCatalog links and data are preserved.
Use the support form to request the EasyCatalog Reader plugin. This plug-in is available free of charge and will ensure that all
links are visible in the document and remain intact.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

PAGE 24

IMPORTING YOUR DATA

CHAPTER 2

IMPORTING YOUR DATA

INTRODUCTION

The first stage in the process, importing your data is the most critical
and key area when using EasyCatalog. The quality of your source
data has a direct impact on the quality of the results that can be
achieved using EasyCatalog.
By directly importing your data into InDesign, you eliminate rekeying errors and significantly reduce the amount of time required to
produce your publication.
Once your data has been imported, it is shown in a spreadsheetstyle panel that sits alongside your other InDesign panels. Multiple
EasyCatalog panels can be open at any time, allowing you to work
on publications that use data from multiple sources.

DATA PROVIDER
MODULES

EasyCatalog uses Data Providers - other InDesign plug-ins written to

interface with EasyCatalog - to import your data. Examples of data
sources are CSV (comma separated) files or any ODBC-compliant
database.
Data Providers are provided as separate plug-ins that must be
installed alongside EasyCatalog. All of the Data Provider plug-ins are
available for installation during the EasyCatalog installation process.
Currently, there are three Data Provider plug-ins available:
Data Provider
File Data Provider

ODBC Data
Provider

Imports
ASCII files, UTF-8, UTF-16 files
Data from an ODBC-compliant database, such as MySQL,
SQL Server, Oracle, FileMaker. An additional driver may be
required to connect to your database.
The ODBC Data Provider is an optional module that must
be purchased separately.
XML Data can be imported using the optional XML Data
Provider module.

XML Data Provider

By specifying record and field XPaths, complex XML structures

can be loaded into EasyCatalog.
The XML Data Provider is an optional module that must be
purchased separately.

Additionally, the optional Relational Module can be used to join

multiple EasyCatalog data sources together in a single panel. It also
has the ability to import data from an SQLite database.
Custom Data Providers can be written and tailored to your
requirements - please contact us for further information.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

IMPORTING YOUR
DATA

Import new data

- available data
providers are listed
here
Existing data
snapshots are listed
here

Each of the available Data Providers are shown on the FileNew

menu. This menu is split into two sections: the top half allows you
to import data from a new source; the bottom allows you to create a
new panel from an existing data snapshot.
Your configuration may differ from the one shown here - if you are
not acquiring data from a file, please consult the documentation that
accompanies your Data Provider plug-in. Depending on the Data
Provider being used, configuration may not even be necessary.

IMPORTING FROM A
FILE

The process begins by selecting New File Data Source from the
FileNewNew EasyCatalog Panel menu option.
Select your data file using the standard file selection dialog.
EasyCatalog will now examine the file to determine the best settings
for importing your data - these will be presented in the configuration
dialog. Dont panic! This is by far the most complex stage in
configuring EasyCatalog - for the majority of users, the settings
determined by EasyCatalog will suffice.

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

IMPORTING FROM A
FILE

The name which will be used to identify

this data source - this name will appear in
the New EasyCatalog Panel menu

(CONTINUED)

Location
Shows the path to the selected file, and allows a new file to be
chosen. Use the Reveal button to go to the file in Windows Explorer
(Windows) or the Finder (Macintosh).
Content
The menus in this area allow you to specify how the file is structured.
When importing a file for the first time, EasyCatalog will attempt to
automatically determine the correct settings for each of these popups by inspecting a sample of the file.
Setting

Description
Specify the type of file being used - either ASCII or
Unicode.

File Encoding

Field Delimiter

EasyCatalog provides full support for importing unicode

files. EasyCatalog can import UTF-8 and UTF-16 encoded
Unicode files.
Specify the character thats used to separate each field in
the file
continued...

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

IMPORTING FROM A
FILE

Setting
Record Delimiter

(CONTINUED)

Description
Specify the character thats used to separate each record
in the file
Typically, most data files contain the names of the columns
in the first row/record.

First record contains

field names

Automatically Detect
Type of New Fields

If your data file does not contain this information, un-check

this box. Default field names will be assigned to each column
when the data is imported. It is strongly recommended that
field names are included in your data file to ensure the links
to fields in the document are not broken if extra columns are
added to your data at a later date.
When this option is set, EasyCatalog will attempt to
determine the type (whether the field is alphanumeric,
numeric, etc) of each field. Turn this option off to default all
fields to alphanumeric.
Example File

The first row in this file contains the names of each of the columns, so the First
Record contains field names check-box should be set.

The Field Delimiter: the character

used to separate each field in the file
(in this example, a comma)

The Record Delimiter: the character

used to separate each record in the
file (in example, a carriage-return)

Sample
Each time any of the Content settings are changed, the Sample
pane will change to show how the file will be imported using the
current configuration. If you are unsure of the settings to specify, you
can experiment until the desired results are shown in the Sample
frame.
The Sample pane is also used to allow columns to be selected to
specify column data type/content information. Select a column in the
table to activate the settings in the Field Information pane. Note that
clicking anywhere in the column will highlight the entire column.
Field Information
Select a column in the Sample pane to enable the Field Information
options.
Key
Each record from your data source should contain a unique identifier
- this key field is used to link document content to the source data.
Typical examples of key fields include SKUs and product codes.
Where there is no single field that identifies a record, multiple fields
may be specified to form a compound key.

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

IMPORTING FROM A
FILE

Configuration of the key attribute is critical to ensuring that record

updates and synchronisation of data work reliably.

(CONTINUED)

The choice of key field is critical to the operation

of EasyCatalog. The key field is used to uniquely
identify each record from the data source and
must never change.

The first time a file is loaded, EasyCatalog will attempt to determine

which column is the key field by looking for columns that contain
unique values.
As a record must have some data that changes, you must have one
field that is not a key.
Formatting Fields
EasyCatalog offers a number of configuration options that determine
how fields are formatted in the document. For example, currency
symbols, number of digits both before and after the decimal place
can be specified.
Hit the Options button to open the Field Options dialog. It isnt
necessary to fully configure each field at this time, since the Field
Options dialog is available at any time.
See the Field Options chapter for more information on the settings
available in the Field Options dialog.

IMPORTING THE DATA

Once you are happy with the configuration options, press the OK
button to import the file. If the configuration is correct, a new
EasyCatalog panel will open showing a spreadsheet-style view of
your data. Further information on working with the EasyCatalog data
panels can be found in the Panels chapter.

COMMON ERRORS
AND WARNINGS

Common import problems, along with possible resolutions are shown

below:
A data source of this name already exists in your workspace
folder. Do you want to overwrite it?
You are attempting to open a data source with the name of a data
source that already exists. You may continue by answering yes
to this dialog, but the previous version of the data source will be
deleted.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

COMMON ERRORS
AND WARNINGS
(CONTINUED)

A data source of the same name is already open. Please use

another name or close all related panels and try again.
You are attempting to open a new data source using the name of a
data source that already exists. Although similar to the above error
message, you cannot continue as panels for the old data source are
still open. To overwrite the old data source, close its data panels
using the Close Panel menu option - you may need to show hidden
data panels using the EasyCatalog Panels menu on the Window
menu.
A duplicate key was detected (value). Please check your data
provider configuration and try again.
EasyCatalog idenitifes each field in the document using a combination
of the data source name, field name and key field value. Therefore,
each of these elements must be unique in order to indentify every
placed field.
In the column(s) you have nominated as the key field(s), you have
duplicate values (the value that is duplicated is shown in the error).
To overcome this, remove duplicate keys from the source data or
check that your key field configuration is correct.
Field names must be unique - (field name) appears more than
once
EasyCatalog idenitifes each field in the document using a combination
of the data source name, field name and key field value. Therefore,
each of these elements must be unique in order to indentify every
placed field.
In your configuration you have selected First record contains field
names, but the first record contains multiple fields with the same
name (shown in the error). To remedy this you must change your
source data so that it does not include duplicate field names.
Field names must be unique - appears more than once
Where no field name is shown in the above error, this usually indicates
that your records contain more fields than there are field names.
This error will only occur when First record contains field names is
selected.
To rectify this problem, ensure that each record in the file contains
the same number of fields, and that the number of fields matches the
number of field names supplied in the first row/record of the file.

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

COMMON ERRORS
AND WARNINGS
(CONTINUED)

Duplicate records were found and have been removed

Records that contain exactly the same content cannot be imported, as
each would have the same key field values. This error is informative,
and the duplicate records will be removed and the file imported.
You should check to see whether you need to import these missing
records and, if so, include exta information in the source data to
differentiate between each record.
Data cannot be loaded because blank field names were found
All fields imported must have a name, and this error is indicating that
one or more have empty names. This error will only occur when First
record contains field names is selected. Check the source data to
ensure that each field has a name, and that the number of fields in
each record does not exceed to number of field names specified in
the first record/row of the file.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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IMPORTING YOUR DATA

DATA CACHING AND

THE WORKSPACE
FOLDER

EasyCatalog does not require a permanent connection to your data

- by caching your data in a local workspace folder, you are able to
continue working with EasyCatalog even when your data source is
unavailable.
Your workspace folder also contains all of the settings for each data
source you create, allowing you to close and re-open data sources
without having to re-configure them each time.
Caching the data locally also offers other benefits, including
highlighting differences in the data when new data is retrieved.
By default, your workspace folder will be configured to be:
Macintosh:
Windows:

Documents:EasyCatalog Workspace
My Documents/EasyCatalog Workspace

Specifying a Workspace Folder

The location of your workspace folder can also be changed - this
can be anywhere on your local machine, provided that EasyCatalog
always has access to it.
See the Application Preferences chapter for further information on
how to specify the EasyCatalog workspace folder.

DELETING A DATA
SOURCE

Once you have finished with a data source, it can be deleted using
the Delete button from the Information dialog. To
access the Information dialog, hit the info button at
the bottom of one of the data panels.

Use the Delete button on the Information dialog to permanently delete a data
source from your workspace folder.

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PAGE 32

FIELD OPTIONS

CHAPTER 3

FIELD OPTIONS
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog provides facilities for fields to be formatted prior to

placement in a document. By setting Field Options you can, for
instance, ensure that your price fields are formatted to use the
correct currency symbol and number of decimal places.
In addition to text fields, EasyCatalog can also import pictures. Using
the Field Options dialog you can specify whether a picture should be
scaled, aligned, etc. when imported.
Once you are happy with your configuration, these options can be
exported to file so you can store a copy of your setup and share this
with other EasyCatalog users.

EDITING FIELD
OPTIONS

The Field Options dialog can be accessed in a number of ways:

Whilst configuring a new data source
From the data source configuration dialog, select a column in the
Sample by clicking in it.
Hit the Options button
From an EasyCatalog data panel
Alt + Double Click in the header area of a
column to display the Field Options dialog

Import and Export the Field

Options configuration to a file

Display the Field Options dialog for the a field by selecting it from the list

Fields can be configured at any time by either using the Field

Options menu or holding the Alt key while double clicking on the
header of the field you want to modify.

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FIELD OPTIONS

THE FIELD OPTIONS

DIALOG

This dialog is divided into two panes the left-hand list shows the
predefined options available. Selecting any one of these will change
the right-hand pane to show further configuration options.

The Field Format pane is used to identify the fields type and format

FIELD FORMAT

Alphanumeric
Fields that are defined as being Alphanumeric will be output to the
document unchanged - use this option if your field is being formatted
correctly by the original source of the data, such as a database.

Fields that are defined as Alphanumeric will appear in exactly the same format
as the original data

Strip White space

Select this option to strip white space - tabs, spaces, etc. - that
appears at the start or end of the fields content.

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PAGE 34

FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Formatted

The Formatted and HTML options currently

only affect data on import. Updating your data
source with new document content will not
create tagged content.

Where field content also contains formatting information, this option

instructs EasyCatalog to apply the formatting tags defined in the
Field Formatting Tags dialog. See Field Formatting Tags.
Formatted Fields
Example of formatted content:
Field content:
Here is some <b>bold text</b>.

After applying the Formatting Tags:

Here is some bold text.

HTML
EasyCatalog also provides basic support for simple HTML tags.
When the HTML check-box is set:
Character entities, such as &uml; in text content will be converted
to an appropriate glyph. Numeric entities such as &#x7B97; are
also supported.
A numbered list will be inserted when <OL> tags are encountered
in the text.
A bulletted list will be inserted when <UL> is used within the
text.
<BR> tags will be replaced with a carriage-return.
Text between <P> and </P> tags will be inserted into its own
paragraph.
<FONT> tags will be processed and the appropriate font
applied.
Unrecognized tags will be stripped from the source text prior
to placement in the document. Tags other than the defaults
shown here should be configured using the Field Formatting Tags
dialog.
Note that HTML formatting is applied when the field is placed in
the document, and the original source content will be shown in the
panel.

i
EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

By default, tags such as <b>, <i>, <sub>, etc

are always configured for HTML fields. Ensure
additional tags used in your fields are configured
in the Field Formatting Tags dialog.

PAGE 35

FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Updates Preserve Local Formatting

Once a formatted field has been inserted into the document, with
this option checked any subsequent use of the Update Document
menu option will not apply the formatting specified by the tags in the
field content. Instead, EasyCatalog will attempt to preserve any local
formatting that has been applied to the field wherever possible.
Ignore White Space Changes
Selecting this option allows minor modifications to be made to
the field in the document without it being shown as in error in the
panel.
When checked, this option allows white space to be inserted into the
field in the document, such as additional carriage-returns, tabs, etc.
Additionally, Update Panel will only update the field in the panel
when non-white-space characters have been modified.
Number
The simplest of the available options, use this pane to format the
field as a whole or fractional number. Select one of the formats from
the popup menu; the Example will update to show how an example
value will appear.

The Field Format pane is used to identify a fields type and format

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

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FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Currency
This pane has a number of predefined currency formats. Again, select
one of the formats from the popup menu.

The panel offers pre-set options for formatting numeric fields as currency. Select
the format pop-up to preview the format in the Example pane.

Custom Formats

The Custom option allows user-defined numeric formats to be specified.

Where your needs are not met by any of the available options,
the Custom option allows a number format to be specified either
through the use of a formatting string or using special keywords.

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PAGE 37

FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Formatting String
The following characters have special meaning in format strings, all
other characters will appear untranslated when output.
Character

Meaning

The most used character, the # indicates where digits from

the source field should appear.

Decimal point. Specifies where the decimal point should

appear and, by the use of the # character after the point,
how many decimal places the number should be formatted to.
No rounding will be performed on the value.

May or may not be present as a divider between groups of

digits, such as thousands, millions, etc.

Used after the decimal point, this character indicates the

minimum number of characters that must appear. For
example, you can specify that a field must appear with at least
two decimal places, but more will be output if required.

Formatting String Samples

The use of the formatting string is best explained by the use of
examples:
Format String
$#.##

Your data source

contains...
123456.123456

Field will be formatted in

the document as...
$123456.12

Only two positions are available after the decimal point.

$###,###

123456.123456

$123,456

The comma may be used to separate groups of digits. No decimal point is provided
in the format string, therefore the value will appear as a whole number.
$#.####

123456.123456

$123456.1234

Four places are available after the decimal point the output value is truncated,
not rounded.
# USD

123456.123456

123456 USD

As the characters USD do not have any special meaning, they appear untranslated
in the output.
###.##*

123456.1

123456.10

123456.1234

123456.1234

Here, the position of the * character specifies that a minimum of

two decimal places are required.

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FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Custom Formatting Keywords

Instead of the custom formatting string, keywords can also be
specified to control characteristics such as the character(s) used as
a decimal point.
Keyword

Description

Example

PREFIX

Specifies the characters to be [PREFIX=]

inserted before the numeric content The field will be prefixed
of the field.
with the euro symbol

SUFFIX

Specifies the characters to be [SUFFIX=]

appending to the numeric content
The field will have a suffix
of the field.
[DECIMAL=,]

DECIMAL

Specifies the decimal separator The decimal separator will

(radix point) character(s) to use.
be the comma - e.g.
199,99

PRECISION

THOUSANDS

REMOVE

[PRECISION=2]
Specifies the number of digits that
will appear after the decimal point. Values will be formatted to
two decimal places
Specifies a character or characters
to use to as the thousands
separator.
The
thousands
separator is used to divide the
value into groups of three, right-toleft from the decimal point.

[THOUSANDS=.]
Values greater than a
thousand will use a comma
as a thousands separator e.g.:
1.234.567

Characters can be optionally [REMOVE=0.(<1)]

removed when the content of
For values less than 1,
the field matches the specified
remove 0.
criteria.

Example Custom Formatting Keywords

A popular continental Europe configuration would be:

The Example at the bottom

of the dialog updates to
show how the field will
appear when placed in the
document.

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PAGE 39

FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

Hyperlink
InDesign hyperlinks can be inserted into the document using the
Hyperlink field type.

The Hyperlink field format allows InDesign hyperlinks to be inserted into the document.

The contents of the Text field appears in the document; the URL
field is used as the hyperlink destination URL. To include the content
of other fields, enclose the field name within { brackets }.
Imported Text
EasyCatalog can also import formatted text such as RTF or InDesign
Tagged Text from a file or from the content of a field by setting the
field type to Imported Text.
EasyCatalog supports all of the text import types provided by
InDesign.

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PAGE 40

FIELD OPTIONS

FIELD FORMAT

(CONTINUED)

If the field contains the formatted

text, select Field Content; if the
field contains a filename or path to
a file containing the content select
Externally Referenced.

If the field contains a full path to the file to import, the Folder and Extension
options can remain empty. If the field contains only a filename specify the folder
containing the file and (optionally) the file extension used (if this information is
not included in the filename).

Fields of type Imported Text will not be updated

as part of the Update Panel operation.

GENERAL
FORMATTING
OPTIONS

The General pane allows a character style sheet to be applied to this field when
placed in the document

Style
The character style sheet specified in this pop-up is applied to the
field when it is inserted into the document. The Character Styles for

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PAGE 41

FIELD OPTIONS

GENERAL
FORMATTING
OPTIONS
(CONTINUED)

the current document, or the default character style sheets if there is

no document open, will be listed in this popup.
When inserting the field into the document, you must ensure that the
character style sheet is available. A warning will be displayed if it is
not, and the field will be inserted without applying the style sheet.
Prefix
Any characters that should always be prefixed to the content of this
field should be specified here.
Suffix
Any characters that should always appear after the content of this
field should be specified here.
InDesign Meta-characters/Special Characters can be included as
part of the Prefix and Suffix value (see below).
Note that both the prefix and suffix are not applied to empty fields.
Cleansing Options
EasyCatalog allows the content of each field to be cleansed before
it is used in the document. Data Cleansing is a simple search-andreplace that is applied to the data during import and before any
formatting options are applied.
The cleansing options are specified by way of a string in the following
format:
{replace this}={with this};
#=;
All of the # characters will be replaced with
Multiple cleansing options may be also specified:
#=;*=;
Multiple cleansing options are separated by a semi-colon
Characters may also be stripped by not specifying a replace-with
character:
#=;
Specify nothing on the right-hand side of the cleansing option to
strip the character on the left.
Character strings can also be cleansed :
ESY=EasyCatalog;
All occurrences of ESY will be replaced with EasyCatalog

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FIELD OPTIONS

GENERAL
FORMATTING
OPTIONS

Regular Expressions
For advanced users, regular expressions can be specified in the
Cleansing Options window:

(CONTINUED)

REGEX:^p$=;
All new paragraph characters at the end of the field will be
stripped (replaced with nothing).
Note that the ^ character is interpreted as an InDesign meta-character,
so ^^ should be used for the regular expression ^ character:
REGEX:^^a=b;
Replace a at the start of the string with b.
Further information on regular expressions can be found on the
internet, using a reference such as:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression
Importing Cleansing Options
Commonly-used cleansing options can be stored in a plain text file
and imported using the Import button above the cleansing text area.
InDesign Metacharacters/Special Characters
InDesign metacharacters, such as those used in the Find/Change
dialog, can also be used as part of the cleansing statement and
within the prefix and suffix fields. Metacharacters begin with a caret
(^) and represent special characters in InDesign, such as a bullet
point.
*=^8;
All instances of the asterisk (*) will be replaced with the InDesign
bullet character.
A full list of metacharacters supported by EasyCatalog is shown on
the in the table below.
Code

Description

^#

Auto Page Numbering

^x

Section Marker

^8

Bullet

^^

Caret

^2

Copyright Symbol

^p

End of Paragraph
continued....

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FIELD OPTIONS

GENERAL
FORMATTING
OPTIONS

Code

(CONTINUED)

Description

^n

Forced Line Break

^7

Paragraph Symbol

^r

Registered Trademark Symbol

^6

Section Symbol

^t

Tab

^\

End Nested Style

^y

Right Indent Tab

^i

Indent to Here

^_

Em Dash

^m

Em Space

^=

En Dash

^>

En Space

^f

Flush Space

^|

Hair Space

^s

Nonbreaking Space

^<

Thin Space

^-

Discretionary Hyphen

^~

Nonbreaking Hyphen

^{

Double Left Quotation Mark

^}

Double Right Quotation Mark

^[

Single Left Quotation Mark

^]

Single Right Quotation Mark

^k

Discretionary line break

Sorting non-English data

Where your data contains non-English data, select the language in
the Sorting pop-up. This will force EasyCatalog to use a linguistic
sort, but should only be used when absolutely necessary as it has a
significant impact on performance.

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FIELD OPTIONS

PICTURE IMPORT
OPTIONS

In addition to inserting textual field content into an InDesign text flow,

EasyCatalog can also be configured to import images into picture
boxes. The picture to import is specified by the content of each field.
The Picture Content dialog is split into two main sections
Attributes that define how the image should appear when its imported

Where the image file can be located

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FIELD OPTIONS

PICTURE IMPORT
OPTIONS

Picture Import Attributes

(CONTINUED)

Attribute

Description
This option determines how the image will be scaled to fit into
its containing box.

Scaling

Scaling

Description

None

The picture will not be scaled when it is

imported

Proportionally
Fit

The picture will be proportionally scaled to fit

its containing picture box. There may be white
space around the image if the image frame has
a different aspect ratio to the image.

Fill Frame

The picture will be scaled to fit the picture box but,

unlike Proportionally Fit, it will completely fill the
box ensuring there is no white space around the
image. The aspect ratio of the original image
will not be maintained when using this option.

Fill
Proportionally

The picture will be proportionally scaled to fill

the picture box but, unlike Proportionally Fit,
it will completely fill the box ensuring there is
no white space around the image. Some of the
image may be outside of the box.

Fixed Scale

Pictures will always be imported and scaled to

the percentage specified by the Scale popup.

Field
Specified

If your data also contains picture scaling

information, this option can be used to
nominate the field containing this value.

Scale/Field

When the Scaling option is set to Fixed Scale, this pop-up

should be used to specify the scale to import the image at. If
Field Specified is set as the Scaling option this menu should
be used to select the field containing the scaling information.

Alignment

After the image has been imported into the frame, it can be
aligned to any of its containing frames corners or edges.
continued....

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FIELD OPTIONS

PICTURE IMPORT
OPTIONS
(CONTINUED)

Attribute

Description

X Offset
Y Offset

These options are used to offset the image within its containing
frame. Specify the name of a field containing the X and/or Y
offset that must be applied to the image.

Insert as Inline
Y Offset

When checked, this option will force the field to be inserted as

an anchored item when there is a text insertion point (instead of
the text content of the field being inserted). An offset from the
baseline can also be specified by choosing the name of the field
containing this information in the pop-up menu.

Image File Location Attributes

Images can be imported from a folder or a web server via a URL specify the location of the images using the Location pop-up:
Importing Images from a File System
If the field contains a full path to the image, the folder location does
not need to be specified.
If the field contains only the filename of the image to import, the
folder location should be specified:
For example, if the field contains the AA1234, EasyCatalog will
attempt to import an image from the Content Location folder with
the name AA1234. Note that all images must be in the Content
Location folder - not sub-folders within it.
To choose the image file folder location, press the Choose button.
The Content Location field can also be built dynamically using the
contents - or parts of - other fields: e.g.:
Macintosh HD:Images:SUBSTR(code, 4,2):

In this example, the Content Location folder path will be built using
the fourth and fifth characters of the code field. All of the String
functions shown in the Custom Fields Reference chapter can be
used in the Content Location field to build a path to the image.
Extension
If the field contains a full path to an image - including the file extension
- the Extension field should remain empty.
If the field contains a filename - including the file extension (such as
.tiff) - the Extension field should remain empty.
If the field contains a filename without the file extension, the extension
should be specified in the Extension field. To specify that all image
files have a .jpg file extension, for example, specify .jpg in this
field.

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FIELD OPTIONS

PICTURE IMPORT
OPTIONS

Multiple file extensions can be specified by separating them with a

semi-colon: e.g.

(CONTINUED)

jpg;gif;tiff

In this case, EasyCatalog will attempt to import a file with a .jpg

extension. If the file cannot be found, EasyCatalog will try a .gif
extension, followed by a .tiff extension.
URL
The Image URL field can also be built dynamically from the contents
of the records other fields. For example:
http://www.65bit.com/images/FIELDSTR(key).jpg

FIELDSTR(key) will be replaced with the contents of the key field.

Images retrieved from a URL are cached locally in your EasyCatalog
workspace folder. Images will be automatically downloaded as
required, so an attempt to insert a picture that has not previously been
cached will result in the image being downloaded. If youre using the
optional Pagination Module, images required for the pagination will
be downloaded before pagination commences.
A menu option is available - Images - when any of the fields in the panel
are configured to retrieve from a URL

Download All
Download and cache all images referenced in the panel.
Download Missing
Download images referenced in the panel that have not previously been downloaded.
Always Download Latest
Once an image has been downloaded and cached in your workspace folder, it will
never be downloaded again unless this menu item is checked. It is advisable to
enable this option prior to running the Update Document operations to ensure
the images you have cached locally are the latest available from the server.

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FIELD OPTIONS

PICTURE IMPORT
OPTIONS
(CONTINUED)

Replacement Image
Where the image for this field can not be found, the image specified
by the Replacement Image setting will be imported. For example,
an Awaiting Photo image could be specified here for use when the
correct image is missing.
If the replacement image is used, the field will still be shown as being
in error during a Synchronise with Document operation.

DATABASE UPDATE

The options shown here are used in conjunction with the ODBC Data
Provider, and are covered separately in the ODBC Data Provider
manual.

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FIELD OPTIONS

ADVANCED OPTIONS

The Advanced Options pane contains settings that ordinarily will

not require any adjustment.

Source Data Number Format

This option allows you to specify the thousands and decimal
separators used in your source data. For example, if your source
data outputs numeric data using a . as a thousands separator
and a , as the decimal separator, these should be specified on the
Advanced pane.
When first configured, fields will default to the settings specified in
the Regional and Language Options control panel on Windows, or
the International System Preference on Macintosh.
Field Group
The Field Group parameters are used to group common fields
together so that some operations can operate on all fields in a group.
For example, if you have sets of fields for English, French and German
text, three groups could be created that contain the relevant fields
for each language. Replace Fields, for example, can use these Field
Groups to replace all fields in a group with fields from another group.
Group Name is the name of the group (e.g. English); Identifier is
used to specify part of a field name that all fields in the group have
in common. For example, if all English fields begin with en_, enter
en_ as the Identifier. When replacing field content, this identifier
will be used to determine which fields relate to one another (e.g..
EasyCatalog will need to identify that en_Description equates to de_
Description).

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FIELD OPTIONS

ADVANCED OPTIONS
(CONTINUED)

Language
The Language option is used to identify the language of the field
content and will affect how this field is sorted. This option should
be set only when necessary as it greatly affects sorting performance.
Exclude from Update Panel
This field will not be updated in the panel when using the Update
Panel function from the data panels pop-out menu.
Exclude from Update Document
This field will not be updated in the document when using the Update
Document functionality.
Fill Down On Synchronize
This option will populate any empty fields in the column with data
from the first non-empty field above it in the data. This option is
commonly used when only the first record in a group contains the
grouping information:

These two columns only contain grouping data for the first record in each group.

The Fill Down option has populated all empty fields with data from the first
populated field above in the column. These columns can now be used as part
of the grouping configuration.

This option takes effect from the next time the data is retrieved using
the Synchronize with Data Source option.

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FIELD OPTIONS

ADVANCED OPTIONS
(CONTINUED)

IMPORTING AND
EXPORTING FIELD
OPTIONS

Flag Empty Pictures as Errors

In some situations, it is valid to have a record in the data that does
not have a picture (in which case the field is empty). The field will
normally be shown as in error as the (empty) picture could not be
imported. When this check box is set, the field will not be shown as
in error.

Export...
When you are happy with your Field Options configuration, you can
export these settings to a file - this file can either be imported on a
different machine (reducing configuration time on each workstation),
or can be imported in the event of you having to recreate your data
source.
Import...
Select the Field Options file to import - fields are matched by name,
and fields that are missing from your current data will be ignored. You
must therefore also ensure that field names do not change between
exporting your Field Options and re-importing them.

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FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

CHAPTER 4

FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

INTRODUCTION

Where your data contains formatted text content, EasyCatalog can

automatically translate the mark-up within the text into InDesign
Character and Paragraph style sheets. This allows rich, formatted
content to be inserted into the document with minimum need for
reformatting.
For example, if your data contains HTML-style mark-up, such as <b>,
<i>, etc EasyCatalog can automatically apply bold or italic styles to
the text. For an additional level of control, style sheets - or just the
properties of the style sheets - can be applied to the text, allowing
the full range of InDesign text formatting options to be applied.
Formatting Tags Example
A typical useage of Formatting Tags is to translate from HTML-style mark-up
into style changes within InDesign. In this example, we want the word bold to
appear in bold in the document:
This text should be in <B>bold</B>.
To do this using Formatting Tags, a style-sheet should be created that defines
how the bold text should appear. We can then configure EasyCatalog to
apply these attributes when the <B> is found in the text, and to remove these
attributes when </B> is found:
This text should be in <B>bold</B>.

When placed in the document, the formatting tags will be removed and the
appropriate attributes will be applied.
This text should be in bold.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Field formatting is currently a one-way process:

formatting is applied to fields when they are
placed in the document. When updating the
panel with document contents tags will not be
inserted based on document styles.

Formatting tags apply to all fields in the datasource that have the Formatted Alphanumeric
Field Option set (see Field Options).

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FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

DEFAULT
FORMATTING TAGS

The following default tags are only defined for

fields configured as HTML in Field Options.

By default, the following tags are defined and require no further

configuration. These tags can be overridden by defining alternatives
in the Field Formatting Tags dialog.
Tag
Close

<b>

</b>

A bold font-style will be applied to the text

within the tags.

<i>

<i>

An italic font-style will be applied to the text

within the tags.

<u>

</u>

An underline font-style will be applied to the

text within the tags.

<sup>

</sup>

Superscript will be applied to the text within

the tags.

<sub>

</sub>

Subscript will be applied to the text within the

tags.

<strike>

</strike>

Strike-through will be applied to the text within

the tags.

<p>

</p>

The text within the tags will be placed in its

own paragraph.

<div>

</div>

<div> tags will be imported in the same way

as the <p> tag.

<ol>

</ol>

The <ol> tag defines an ordered (numbered)

list. Items within the list should be inside of
<li> tags.

<ul>

</ul>

The <ul> tag defines an unordered (bullet) list.

Items within the list should be inside of <li>
tags.

<li>

</li>

Define an item within an ordered or unordered

list.

<em>

</em>

The <em> tag is imported in the same way as

the <i> tag.

<strong>

</strong>

The <strong> tag is imported in the same way

as the <b> tag.

<br/>
<br>

i
EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Default Configuration

Open

Inserts a carriage-return character

Any other tags not shown above or defined in the

Formatting Tags dialog will be stripped from fields
defined as HTML in Field Options.

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FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

DEFINING
FORMATTING TAGS

To override the behaviour of the default tags defined above, or to

define additional tags that may appear
in your data, select the Field Formatting
Tags menu option from your
EasyCatalog data panel menu.
The Formatting Tags Dialog
Status

Tag

Action

The style sheet required for

this tag is available in the
current document

The style sheet is not available

in the current document

Status Column
The status column shows whether the style-sheet used by the tag is
available for use in the current (front-most) document.
If the status column is red, the required style sheet is not available.
When placed in the document, the tag will be removed from the field
content and formatting will not be applied.
Tag
The tag shown here will be stripped from the field content when
placed in the document, and the action shown will be applied to all
text following the tag.
Action
The action shows the attributes that will be applied to the text when
the tag is encountered in the field content. Stylesheets, or just the
attributes of them, can be applied or removed from the text that
follows the tag.

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FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

CREATING A NEW TAG

To create a new tag, click the Add button on the Field Formatting
Tags dialog.
Tag Configuration Dialog

Name
The name of this tag as it appears in the field content.
Affects
Tags can either affect attributes applied to the paragraph, or the
characters within the paragraph.
Action
Action

Description

Apply Stylesheet

When this tag is encountered in the text, the stylesheet defined

below will be applied to the text.

Apply Overrides

When this tag is encountered, only the overrides defined by

this stylesheet (as shown in below) will be applied to the
text. The actual stylesheet is not applied to the text, therefore
later modifications to the stylesheet will not affect the text in
the document.

Remove Overrides

The overrides (shown in below) will be removed from the

text.

Stylesheet
This style-sheet defines the text attributes to apply to the text. Where
Affects is set to Paragraph Attributes, a list of paragraph style
sheets will be shown here; where Affects is Character Attributes, a
list of character style sheets will be shown.

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FIELD FORMATTING TAGS

CREATING A NEW TAG

(CONTINUED)

Overrides
The panel shows the overrides defined by the selected stylesheet in
the current, front-most, document. Note that the actual overrides
applied to the field content is determined by the stylesheet defined
in the document being placed into.

EDITING A TAG

To edit a tag, either double click the entry in the

Field Format Tags dialog, or select the tag and
hit the Edit button.

DELETING A TAG

To delete a tag, select it in the list and hit the

Delete button.

EXPORTING TAG
DEFINITIONS

The tag configuration can be exported to an

XML file for importing on a different EasyCatalog
workstation. Hit the Export button to export the settings shown in
the dialog.

IMPORTING TAG
DEFINITIONS

Use the Import button to import tag definitions previously exported

with the Export button. Exisiting tag definitions shown in the dialog
will be replaced with those in the file.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

CHAPTER 5

EASYCATALOG PANELS
INTRODUCTION

The EasyCatalog panel is your view on the snapshot of data acquired

by a Data Provider. Using a spreadsheet-style appearance, the data
in the panel can be sorted, grouped and filtered to make working
with large volumes of data easy.
Multiple panels can be open for the same data source, each with
different filters, columns, sort orders and groups applied to the same
source data.
Multiple data sources can also be open at once, allowing you to work
on publications that require data from a number of sources.
Each EasyCatalog data panel sits alongside your other InDesign
panels and may be docked, resized and hidden in the same way.

OPENING A NEW
EASYCATALOG DATA
PANEL

A new panel will be

created after creating a
new data source
Select an existing
data source to create a
new panel

EasyCatalog panels may be created in one of three ways:

After configuring a new data source, a new panel will automatically
be created showing all of the data.
From the InDesign FileNewEasyCatalog Panel menu, select
an existing data source name.

New panels can be created

by selecting New Panel from
the panel sub-menu

A new view of the data can be created by using the New Panel
menu option on existing EasyCatalog panels.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

PANEL OVERVIEW

The EasyCatalog panel shows a wealth of information and offers a

variety of ways to manipulate your data. In addition to showing your
data, each EasyCatalog panel shows status information for each
field and offers sorting, filtering and grouping options.

Multiple data sources can be

worked with simultaneously

Sort columns by clicking in the

table header, sub-sort by shiftclicking in the header

Individual columns can be

shown or hidden
The status column shows
products that have been
inserted, updated and deleted
since data was last retrieved
from the data source

The status of each field and

record is indicated by its colour
in the panel: green fields are
placed in the document; red
fields are placed in the document
but their contents do not match
the data source

Insert the selected

field in the document

Query, or filter, the

data displayed in the
panel

Check the document to ensure

the contents are the same as
the data source

Data can be grouped in the panel - show or hide the contents of each group by
clicking the disclosure triangle

All fields within this group are placed in the document and their content match the
data source
One of the fields in this group is placed in the document, but its content does not
match the data source

The number of sub-groups or items contained within this group

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

THE INDESIGN
WINDOW MENU

All currently-active EasyCatalog panels are

shown on a new sub-menu on the InDesign
WindowEasyCatalog Panel menu. To show a
hidden panel, select it from the menu.

TABLE ROWS

Each row in the table shows the current status of

each record and field.

THE STATUS COLUMN

The Status Column

The status column always appears at the far-left
of the row, and does not scroll with the rest of the
table. This column is always visible, and cannot
be moved. Its colour is also used to indicate the
document state of the record (see below).
The status column is further subdivided into two
columns:
Status after Synchronisation

The column shows the changes made to each

record as a result of the last Synchronize with Data Source operation.
More information can be found in the Synchronizing chapter.
This record has been inserted.
This record has been removed from the source data, and
has effectively been deleted. This record should be removed
from the document.
This record was updated in the source data. The fields that
have changed will be shown in the red dotted outline.
Associated Product Style
If this column has the geometry icon, the record has a Product
Style associated with it. See Templates and Libraries for further
information.
This record has a Product Style associated with it. To
paginate this Product Style, drag this icon to the document.
This icon will only appear when the panel is grouped and
indicates that this record is inheriting its Product Style from
the parent group.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

STATUS COLOURS

The background colour of each row indicates the current status of

each record and field.
Placed fields are shown in dark
green

If one of the records fields is placed,

the entire row will be shown in light
green

A blue dotted outline indicates that the field has been updated from the
document and requires updating in the data source.

One of the fields for this record, is placed. The field that is
placed will be shown in dark green or red.
The field is placed in the document and its content matches
the source data.
The field is placed in the document but its content differs
to the source panel.
This field was updated when the data was last retrieved
from the data source.
The field in the panel has been updated from the document
and needs updating in the data source.

FINDING FIELDS IN
THE DOCUMENT

Double-click on a placed field to find it in the document. Only fields

on visible, unlocked, layers will be shown.
Placed Fields
If the field is shown as placed and not in error (indicated by a green
field in the panel), double-clicking will locate the first occurrence of
the field in the document.
Error
If the field is placed, but shown as being in error (indicated by a
red field in the panel), double-clicking will locate the first erroneous
occurrence of the field in the document.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

SELECTING ROWS
AND FIELDS

Entire rows or individual table cells can be selected in the table. The
panel selection affects the behaviour of some of the menu options
and buttons on the panel, such as the insert button.
Selected cells are shown with a light-blue outline; selected rows
have a light-blue highlight across the entire row, including the status
column.

Select the entire row by clicking in the status column on the left

Field Selection
Click in a table cell to select an individual table cell. Modifier keys,
such as control and shift, will be determines whether the selection
will be extended:
Shift Key
The cell clicked in will be added to the current selection.
Alt
The selection will be extended to include the field clicked in - all
fields between the current selection and the field clicked in will be
included in the new selection range.

Select a single field by clicking with the left mouse button

Row Selection
Entire rows can be selected by clicking in the status column at the
left of each row. The Shift and Alt keys can be used in the same way
as field selection above.
Marquee Selection
Click in the table and drag a selection marquee to highlight cells.
Dragging past the edges of the panel will cause the table to scroll
the scrolling speed is determined by the distance of the mouse
pointer from the edge of the panel.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

EDITING DATA IN THE

PANEL

REORDERING ROWS

The contents of individual fields

can be edited by selecting the
field in the panel, right (or Ctrl)
clicking and selecting the Edit
Content menu option.

Sorting

To sort the data in a column, click in the header

area of the column you want to sort . By
default, the sorting will be ascending click in
the same column header again to reverse the
sort (descending), and click a third time to revert
to the order that the data was retrieved from the
data source.
Whether a column is sorted, and the direction of
the sort (ascending or descending ), is shown
by an icon in the header.

The data in the column will be sorted according

to its type - therefore, it is important to correctly
configure the fields type using the Field Options
dialog.

Sub-sorting
Once a column is sorted, it may also
be sub-sorted by data in another
column. For instance, you may want
to sort data by Ex VAT Price within
Child Category.

To sub-sort by another column, hold

the shift key whilst clicking in the
column header. A number underneath
each sort icon shows the sort-order.
Manually re-ordering rows
Rows in the table may be reordered by dragging them into position.
Table rows may also be dragged between panels this is useful after
creating a new, empty, panel.
Note that the automatic filtering will be removed from a panel once
a row has been dragged the filter is removed, although only the
records that were visible when the filter was applied will remain.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

REORDERING
COLUMNS

The positions, or order, of columns may be changed for each panel.

To reorder columns, simply drag them into position: click and hold
the mouse button in the header area of the column you want to move.
Drag the column into its new position the position of the drop will
be shown whilst dragging.
Reordering Columns Alphabetically
To sort the columns into order alphabetically, right (or Ctrl) click in the
panel data area and select Reorder Columns Alphabetically from
the contextual menu that appears.

SHOWING AND
HIDING COLUMNS

By default, the data for every field is shown in each panel.

Each column may also be hidden - the only column that must always
remain visible is the status
column on the left.
Show and hide columns
using the Show/Hide Fields
menu item. Changing the
visibility of a column, or
reordering the columns, only affects individual panels.
Alternatively, hold Shift and Alt whilst clicking on a column header to
hide a column.

FIXING THE POSITION

OF COLUMNS

Columns can be prevented from scrolling horizontally allowing, for

example, your key fields to be permanently visible in the panel.
Fixed position columns

Hold the shift key down to drag the divider bar from the left-hand column

Columns that have been fixed will not scroll horizontally with the rest of the
data in the panel.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

GROUPING DATA

Grouping allows you to group related items of data within the panel
and define complex group and sub-group relationships which can
either be used to make your data more manageable, or represent the
physical layout of your publication. Groups are a powerful feature of
EasyCatalog and are used extensively during advanced pagination.

CREATING GROUPS

To group data within EasyCatalog, first make sure the panel contains
the data you wish to group. If the panel data has been previously
filtered, then only items that are visible will be grouped. If you wish
to group all items from the data source, select the Show All menu
option to ensure nothing is missed out. Once the data shown is
correct, select the Group... menu option. This presents the
Grouping Configuration dialog.

GROUPING
CONFIGURATION
DIALOG

The dialog is split into two sections. The left shows a list of all fields
from the current data source; the right shows the current grouping
configuration.

The Grouping Configuration dialog is used to define the hierarchy of your data,
and the sort-order that should be used.

Adding a field to the grouping

To group by a field, either double click on it in the Available Fields list
or select the field and hit the Add button. The selected field will be
added as a sub-group of any groups you currently have configured.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

GROUPING
CONFIGURATION
DIALOG
(CONTINUED)

Removing a field from the grouping

To remove a field from the current grouping, either double click on it
in the Grouping Configuration list or select it and press the Remove
button.
Changing the order of the groups
By default, the groups shown in the panel will be ordered in ascending
alphabetical order. The order of the groups can be determined by
selecting the field in the Grouping Configuration list and using:
The Ascending/Descending Radio Buttons
The groups will be ordered in ascending or descending alphabetical
order.
The Override Default Sorting Prior To Grouping Menu
The contents of another field in your data can be used to determine
to the order. For example, you may want to group by the
Manufacturer field in your data, but want the groups to be ordered
by a Manufacturer Order field. If this is the case, select the name of
the field that should be used to order the data in the Override Default
Sorting Prior To Grouping Menu pop-up menu.
The order of the groups as they are presented in the source data
can be preserved by selecting the Data Source Order option in the
Override Default Sorting Prior To Grouping Menu.
Display alternative field as header
Use this option when you are grouping by a field, such as a group
code or a sort-order, but require a more meaningful field to be
displayed in the panel. For example, you may want to group the data
using a group code field but need a more meaningful group name
field to be displayed in the panel.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

GROUPED PANELS

Once a panel has been grouped, any sort options applied to the
panel will work on a group-by-group basis. For example, if the
panel is grouped by Manufacturer, then sorting by Price would
sort by Price within Manufacturer, thereby obeying the defined
groupings.
Data is shown in the panel in a hierarchical form. Click the disclosure triangle to
show and hide sub-groups and records.
Status indicator shows if any or the sub-groups or records are placed
and/or in error

The number of sub-groups or records immediately beneath in the hierarchy is

shown here

If the group contains other groups, then only the number of subgroups will be shown. The row also contains a placement indicator.
This uses the same colour coding as items to indicate if there is a
partial placement, full placement or are any errors within any of the
groups sub elements.
Subsets can also be applied to grouped panels - the subset filter will
behave in the same way as an ungrouped panel, although the results
will appear hierarchically.

HOW SORTING
AND REORDERING
CAN HELP WITH
PAGINATION

The records, and the order in which they are sorted, can lead to
much greater efficiency when working with document tables.
An InDesign table can be created containing the records and fields in
the order they are shown in the panel therefore, you should reorder
the records and fields to appear as you want them to look in the
document - see Tables.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

LOCKING A PANEL

Individual panels can be locked to prevent any records being added

or removed. Locking a panel does not affect your ability to sort or reorder the records. Advanced Filters are also removed from the panel
to prevent the content of the panel being affected by a fields status
changing.
To lock a panel, select Lock Panel from the panels pop-out menu.
A locked panel can be unlocked simply by selecting Unlock Panel
from the pop-out menu. Note that filters will need to be reapplied to
the panel after unlocking.

LOADING AND
SAVING PANEL
CONFIGURATIONS

Saving a panel configuration

The configuration of your panel, such as the way it is grouped,
sorted, etc can be stored. Panel configurations stored in this way
can only be applied to the data source for which the panel belongs to apply the configuration to a different data source use the Export
and Import menu options.
Storing panel configurations

Give your panel configuration a name: this name will appear on the
Configurations menu

Select the elements of the configuration you would like to store

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

LOADING AND
SAVING PANEL
CONFIGURATIONS

Option

Configuration options stored:

The options specified in the Grouping Configuration
dialog.

Grouping

(CONTINUED)

Sorting

Column sorting options.

Column Sizes, Positions

and Visibility
Subset

The position, size and visibility of the columns in the

table.
Any filter/subset currently applied to the panel.

Subset List

The list of filters/subsets shown in the Saved

Subsets menu.

Advanced Subset

The Advanced Subset options currently applied to

the panel.

Loading a panel configuration

Loading panel configurations

Saved panel configurations are shown at the bottom of the Configuration

menu. To apply a configuration, select it from the menu.

Exporting and importing panel configurations

The configuration of a panel can also be exported and imported from
a file. This allows you to store the configuration of a panel and apply
it later to a different data source.

DEFINING A
DEFAULT PANEL
CONFIGURATION

The current panel configuration can also be stored so that each time
a new panel is opened via the FileNewEasyCatalog
Panel menu, it will have the current configuration
options applied.
Use the Info button at the bottom of the panel to
display the Information Dialog.

Use the Save As Default button to store the panels current configuration as the
default settings for all new panels created for the data source.

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EASYCATALOG PANELS

CLOSING A PANEL

Hiding a panel
Use the close button in the top-left corner (Macintosh) or top-right
corner (Windows) of the panel to hide the panel from view. The panel is
only hidden, and can be shown again using the WindowEasyCatalog
Panels menu option. The panel configuration, such as sorting,
grouping, etc, is retained while the panel is hidden.
Closing a Panel
When you have permanently finished with a panel, use the Close
Panel pop-out menu option. Once closed, the panels configuration
(such as sorting, grouping, etc) will be lost unless you have saved
it as the default configuration for the data source, or as a named
configuration (see above).

CREATING A NEW
VIEW OF THE DATA

EasyCatalog allows multiple views of the same data source, each

with different subset filters, grouping and sorting configurations.
A new panel can be created using the New Panel panel menu
option. Give the panel a name, and use one of the four options to
specify its content. The name of a panel need not be the same as
the name of the data source.

Create a new panel using the New Panel... menu option. Give the new panel a
name and specify which records should be copied to it.
Option

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Description

Exactly the Same

A new panel will be created containing the same records

and grouping as the existing panel.

Panel Selection

Only the records selected in the panel will be present in the

new panel.

All Items

The new panel will contain all of the records for this data
source.

Empty

A new, empty, panel is created. To populate this panel, drag

records from an existing panel to it or use the subset options
to specify the data that should be used to populate it.

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FILTERING DATA

CHAPTER 6

FILTERING DATA
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog makes working with large volumes of data easy - using

a simple query builder from within EasyCatalog, your data can be
filtered to show only the records you need to use.
Filters are applied to each EasyCatalog panel, so you can have
multiple panels open for the same data source each with their own
filter applied.
In addition to filtering on field content, Advanced queries can also be
configured to show records and fields based on their current status
(such as whether the record is placed, in error, etc).
Filter definitions can also be saved and re-applied as required.

Filtering options are

available from each of the
EasyCatalog panels.

FILTERING ON FIELD
CONTENT

Queries are defined by a simple field, operator, value configuration

dialog - to apply a simple filter to a dialog, select Show Subset...
from the panel menu.
The use of filters is essential when dealing with large numbers of
records, or when creating tables in InDesign (as the records, columns
and ordering affect the way in which tables are populated or created
on the page).

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FILTERING DATA

FILTERING ON FIELD
CONTENT

The Subset Dialog

(CONTINUED)

Search Entire Data

All of the data from the data source will be searched.
Search Currently Shown Items
Only the data currently visible in the panel will be filtered. Filter
definitions created using this option can not be saved.
Field Popup
A list of all fields for the data source will be shown in this pop-up.
Operator Popup
The operators ('Less than', 'Greater than', etc) shown in this pop-up
menu are determined by the field type (as defined in Field Options)
for the field selected in the field pop-up.
Save As...
Save this filter definition. You will be prompted for a name, which will
appear in the Saved Subsets menu on the EasyCatalog panel.
Match All (logical and)
All of the search criteria must be satisfied to allow the record to pass
through the filter. In the example above, Parent Category must be
equal to Electrical and Inc VAT Price must be less than 500.
Match Any One (logical or)
Any of the search criteria must be satisfied to allow the record
through. In the above example, Parent Category must be equal to
Electrical or Inc VAT Price must be less than 500.
More Choices / Fewer Choices
Query criteria can be added or removed using these buttons. Up to
a maximum of five criteria can be defined for a single subset.
Show Entire Group
This option is only available for grouped panels. When checked, the
entire group will be displayed if any of the records within the group
match the criteria specified.

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FILTERING DATA

ADVANCED SUBSETS

In addition to simply filtering by the value of field from the data source,
Advanced Subsets can be defined which include information about
each records status, and are applied in addition to any other filters
already applied to the panel.
The top area of the dialog allows the data to be filtered based
on each records status after a Synchronize with Data Source
operation.

The bottom area allows records to be filtered based on whether

they are placed in the document and, if they are, that the content in
the document matches the content from the data source

Show Items That Are Flagged As

All of these options refer to what happened to the data the last time
it was synchronized with the data source, via the Synchronize with
Datasource menu option.
Option
Unchanged
New

Deleted

Updated

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Description
Show records that were not modified
Show the records that were created as a result of the
synchronisation process - i.e. they were not present in the
data snapshot before synchronisation, but are now.
Show the records that were removed during the synchronisation
- i.e. records that were present in the data snapshot, but are
not now. Note that records are not removed from the snapshot
during synchronisation - they are marked for deletion until
purged by the user.
Show the records that changed during synchronisation.

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FILTERING DATA

ADVANCED SUBSETS
(CONTINUED)

SAVED SUBSETS

Show Items That

Option

Description

Have Geometry

Show the records that have geometry associated with them see Templates and Libraries.

Have No
Geometry

Show the records that do not have geometry associated with

them - see Templates and Libraries.

Have Document
Content

Show the records that are placed on the current, front-most,

document.

Have No
Document
Content

Show the records that are not placed on the current

document.

Have Errors

Show the records that are placed in the document, and whose
content is different in the document to the data source.

Have No Errors

Show the records whose content is the same in the document

and in the data source.

The Saved Subsets menu option shows all previously saved filter
definitions.
Applying a saved filter
To apply one of the definitions, select it from the menu. Note that any
existing filter will be replaced with the saved definition.
Deleting filter definitions
All saved filter definitions can be removed by selecting the Remove
All menu option from the Saved Subsets menu.

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FILTERING DATA

AUTOMATICALLY
CREATING QUERIES

In addition to listing the saved queries, this menu also allows you to
automatically create filter definitions based on the content of one of
the data source fields.
To automatically create these filter definitions, select Create... from
the Saved Subsets menu.

Select the field that you would like to automatically create filters for. A filter will
be created for each unique value in the selected field - each individual filter will
only show records for a particular department, for example.

A filter has been created for each unique 'Dept' name - equivalent to creating a
filter definition of Department is ... for each department value.

REMOVING A FILTER
FROM A PANEL

A filter can be removed from a panel by selecting the Show All menu
option. Note that any filter definition will be lost, so be sure to save it
before selecting Show All.

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SYNCHRONIZING

CHAPTER 7

SYNCHRONIZING
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog offers bidirectional linking of data to the InDesign

document - any changes made to the source data can be reflected
to the document, and any changes made to the document can be
sent back to the source of the data.

GETTING THE LATEST

DATA

EasyCatalog works with snapshots of data - an internal picture of the

data that was taken at a moment in time. When data changes at its
source the snapshot needs updating.
By storing a snapshot of data, EasyCatalog can identify those
records and fields that have changed through successive updates
of the snapshot. This information is shown in the EasyCatalog
panel to assist the user in making decisions on how to update the
document.
To update the data snapshot, choose Synchronize with Data Source
from the EasyCatalog panel menu.
The data will be retrieved from its original source and compared
against the existing snapshot. All changes will be shown in the data
sources panels, and will remain until the next Synchronize with Data
Source operation.

Any new records are shown with the new icon in the status column.

Any records that are have been removed from the data source are marked as
deleted. All records that have been marked as deleted can later be removed
once removed from the document.
Where fields have been updated, the record is shown as updated in the status
column, and each field that changed is highlighted with a red broken outline.

The updated icon

appears in the status
column

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

The fields that have

been updated are also
highlighted

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SYNCHRONIZING

SYNCHRONIZING
WITH A DIFFERENT
FILE

File-based Data-sources only

If the location of your data-file has changed, or you would like to
select a new file, hold the shift key while selecting Synchronize with
Data Source. A file chooser dialog will appear which will allow you
to re-specify the location of your data file.

UPDATING THE
DOCUMENT

The document can be updated with a single click - each EasyCatalog

panel offers various options for updating the entire document, or
parts of the document.

Three options are available that determine the scope of the document updates

Each of these options will only update fields on current, front-most,

document that differ to the data in the panel.
Any fields that are updated will have their field markers changed
back to green to indicate that the field is no longer in error.
Note that only fields on unlocked layers will be updated.
All
Update the entire document
Selection
Update those fields in the document that are within the current
document selection - highlight the fields in the document you want
to update and select this menu option.
With Panel Selection
Only update the fields in the document that are selected in the
panel.
Re-applying Pagination Rules
Hold down the shift key whilst selecting any of the above menu
options to re-apply pagination rules such as 'Fit Box to Text'. This
option is only available when the Pagination Module is loaded.
Updating a single column
Right click (or Ctrl-click on Macintosh) in the column you would like
to update in the document and select the 'Update All (field name)
Fields In The Document' menu option.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING A BOOK

EasyCatalog also supports updating all of the documents in an

InDesign book.
A new menu option is provided on each Book panel - Update
EasyCatalog fields. This option behaves in the same was as other
book operations - any open documents will be updated but not
saved; any unopen documents will be opened, updated, saved and
closed.

CHECKING FOR
ERRORS

The content of the document can be checked to ensure that its

content matches the data from the data source.
Any discrepancies found will be highlighted in the document with
red Field Markers, and the field will also be shown in the red in the
EasyCatalog panel.
Hit the Synchronize with
Document button on the
EasyCatalog panel, or the
Synchronize with Document menu
to check for errors

Text Content
Text content must match exactly the content from the data source numeric fields must also be in the correct format.
Minor modifications, such as the insertion of additional carriage
returns, tabs, etc, are allowed if the 'Ignore White Space Changes'
alphanumeric field option is enabled for the field.
Note: A field is not reported as being in error if the incorrect character
style sheet is applied.
Field markers, which are normally shown in green, will be changed to red for all
fields which are in error.

Field Markers will be changed to red to enable erroneous fields to

be identified in the document. The Field Markers are changed back
to green when the document is updated via the Update Document
menu.
Picture Content
Pictures will be shown as being in error in a number of situations:
No image is in the box
An incorrect image is imported into the box
If the image has changed (the link needs updating)

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SYNCHRONIZING

CHECKING FOR
ERRORS

If the missing image has been used, as the correct image for
a field was missing.

(CONTINUED)

HOW DOCUMENT
FORMATTING IS
PRESERVED

Picture frame labels are also shown in red if the picture in the box is in error.

When fields have changed on the database, EasyCatalog intelligently

applies the changes to the document - rather than replacing each
field in the document in its entirety, new content into the existing
document content. This helps to preserve any formatting that may
have been applied to any of the characters in the field.
If the document needs updating, the updates are merged into the document to
help preserve any formatting that may have been applied. Here, the .99 is in
superscript. The field should read 24.00 - EasyCatalog will merge the changes
and only replace the last two characters.

Only the last two characters have been changed - rather than replacing the
entire contents of the field which would have resulted in all characters being
formatted the same.

This is how the field would have looked if all characters had been replaced, and
illustrates the importance of only applying the differences to the document.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Formatting applied to fields in the document

will only be preserved for Formatted or HTMLencoded fields when the 'Updates Preserve Local
Formatting' option is enabled in Field Options.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING THE
PANEL FROM THE
DOCUMENT

The link between document and data is bidirectional - therefore, any

changes made to the document can be reflected back to the panel
(and the original source of the data, such as the database).
Note that if a field is placed in the document twice, the last occurrence
of the field will be used as the content for the field. Also, only the
front-most, current, document will be used to update the panel.
As with updating the document, updating the panel offers five options
that determine the scope of the changes.

The panel can be updated to reflect the content of the document

All
Update all of the fields in the panel.
Selection
Only update the fields that are selected in the panel.
With Document Selection
Update the fields in the panel that are selected in the document.
Updating a single column
Right click (or Ctrl-click on Macintosh) in the column you would like
to update in the panel and select the 'Update All (field name) Fields
In The Panel' menu option.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Only data shown in the panel can be used to

update the data source - therefore, you should
Update Panel prior to Update Data Source.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING PAGE
NUMBERS

The page number(s) where each record appears can stored in one
of the datasources fields using the Update PanelWith Page
Numbers menu option.

Section page numbers are used to update the field

content. Therefore, the format of the page number
will be defined by the documents Numbering &
Section options.
The Page Number Update Dialog

Search For: Field

Define which field(s) for a record should be used to determine the
page a record is placed on, and whether only text fields, picture
fields or both types should be searched for. For example, if a single
record spans multiple pages you may only be interested in the page
number that the 'Price' field is placed on.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Option

Description

All

All fields for a record will be searched for in the document.

When one is found, its page number will be used to update
the 'Update' field.

Field Name

The document will be searched for the specified field, and the
page this field is placed on will be used to update the 'Update'
field.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING PAGE
NUMBERS

Search For: Content Type

(CONTINUED)

Option

Description

All

Both text and picture boxes will be searched for a field in the
document for each record.

Text
Picture

Only text-based fields will be searched in the document.

Only picture boxes will be searched in the document.

Update : Field
Nominate the field that should be updated with the page number the
record is placed on.
Update : Records
Option
All
Panel Selection

Description
All records in the data source will be updated.
Only the records selected in the panel will be updated.

Populate With
Option

Description

First Page

The page number that the record first appears on will be

used.

Last Page

The page number for the last occurrence of the record will be
used.

All Pages

A list of all pages numbers for all instances of the record will
be stored in the field.
For example, if a record appears on pages 1,2,3 and 5 the field
will be updated with 1-3, 5.

Collate pages for all grouped records

If your data panel is grouped, this option will update all records in
each group with a list of the page numbers for every record in the
group. This option would be used, for example, to get a list of pages
that all records in a particular category appear on.
Only update records in current document
By turning this option on, only the records placed in the current
document will have their page numbers updated. If this option is off,
any records not placed in the current document will have their page
number fields emptied.
Updating Page Numbers From Multiple Documents
Page numbers from multiple documents can be updated to the panel
by storing them in an InDesign book:
Select any field or record in the panel you would like to update.
From your InDesign books menu, use the Update EasyCatalog
Fields with Page Numbers menu option.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING DATA WITH

PAGE POSITIONS

The panel can also be updated with the X and Y position of each
record in the document using the 'Update Panel With Page
Positions' menu option. The X and Y position of the frame containing
the field will be used to update the panel (not the position of the field
within the frame).
The Page Position Update Dialog

Search For: Field

Limit the update to searching for a specific field (rather than any field
for the record) and whether only text fields, picture fields or both
types should be searched for.
Option

Description

All

All fields for a record will be searched for in the document.

When one is found, its position will be used to update the
'Update' field.

Field Name

The document will be searched for the specified field, and its
position be used to update the 'Update' field.

Search For: Content Type

Option

Description

All

Both text and picture boxes will be searched for a field in the
document for each record.

Text
Picture

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Only text-based fields will be searched in the document.

Only picture boxes will be searched in the document.

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SYNCHRONIZING

UPDATING DATA WITH

PAGE POSITIONS
(CONTINUED)

Update : X Field, Y Field

Nominate the fields that should be updated with the position of the
'Search For' field.
Update : Records
Option

Description

All

All records in the data source will be updated.

Panel Selection

UPDATING THE DATA

SOURCE

Only the records selected in the panel will be updated.

Before updating your data source, you must first

update the contents of the panel (see above).

Once the panel has been synchronized with the document, the
original data source can be updated. The source of the data will
determine how it is updated.
Select Update Data Source to update the original source of the
data.
File-based data
A file Save As dialog will be displayed. In the normal manner, enter
a file name and select where you would like the file to be saved. The
format of the file will be the same as the original input format.
Database (ODBC) data
EasyCatalog also tracks the fields that have been updated - those
that were changed in the data snapshot. The fields that will be
updated are shown with a blue dashed outline in the EasyCatalog
data panel.
Only the fields that have been changed will be updated on the database
- resulting in faster update times through fewer transactions.

Only fields that have an update statement

configured will be updated on the database.
Ensure that the 'Update Using Statement' check
box is set in the Field Options.

An update SQL statement must be configured for each of the fields

that will be updated. Further information on this can be found in the
manual that accompanies the ODBC Data Provider.

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PAGINATION BASICS

CHAPTER 8

PAGINATION BASICS
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog offers a number of pagination options - from the simple

insertion of single fields into text, right through to designing complex
Product Styles and the automatic creation of page content.
EasyCatalog Libraries extend the functionality of InDesign libraries,
and allow dynamic content to be used in the design. When an item
is dragged from an EasyCatalog Library to the page, the content for
the selected record is used to paginate it.
Through intelligent tracking of content, EasyCatalog can identify
those fields that are placed, if their content is up-to-date and, if not,
update it.

SINGLE FIELD
INSERTION

The simplest of all pagination options, a single field can be inserted

by simply selecting the desired field in the EasyCatalog panel and
hitting the insert button.
Only one field can be selected in the EasyCatalog panel, as a multiplefield selection will insert a simple table (see below).
The current document selection will determine whether the field text
is inserted, or a picture imported for the field.
Hit the Insert button to insert the currently selected panel
field(s) into the document. The number of fields selected in
the panel, and the current document selection will affect the
behavior of this button.

Inserting text
If there is a valid text insertion point in the document, the field content
will be inserted. This method is useful for constructing documents
where records do not appear in a structured manner and field text
must be inserted into normal text runs.
Any character style sheet which has been defined for a field (in Field
Options) will be applied to the field text.
Green Field Marker characters will also be inserted around the field
content - these markers are non-printing and are used to designate
where the field content is in the document. After a document
synchronization, these field markers will appear in red when the
document content does not match the data source content (see
Synchronizing).

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PAGINATION BASICS

SINGLE FIELD
INSERTION

Insertion point

(CONTINUED)

Ensure that there is a valid text insertion point, select a single field in the
EasyCatalog panel and hit the insert widget.

The field has been inserted

into the document, enclosed
in green field markers. If
a style sheet has been
specified in the Field Options
dialog, it will be applied to
the inserted text.

If the Dynamically Update Panel preference is

set, the field will be shown in green in the panel

Working with Field Markers

Field markers are non printing and are zero-width, and are used to
track the content of fields in the document.
Individual field marker characters can not be deleted - they can only
be removed if both the start and end marker characters are included
in the selection.

Field content is shown between green, or red, field markers in the document

Field marker characters can only be deleted if the entire field is selected. As
this selection range does not encompass the entire field, the start field marker
character will not be deleted

All characters other than the marker character have been deleted.

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PAGINATION BASICS

SINGLE FIELD
INSERTION
(CONTINUED)

Inserting Pictures
If an empty picture frame is selected, the picture will be imported for
the selected field.

An empty picture frame

must be selected

Select a field to insert

Hit the insert button

The content of the field determines the name of the picture file that
will be imported. To find the picture file, EasyCatalog will attempt to
import the image from the following locations:
If the field contains a full path to an image, it will be imported from
this location
The Content Location folder defined in Field Options will be
checked to see if a file with the same name as the field content
exists. If not, the file extension will be appened to the filename
and EasyCatalog will attempt to import again.
The Images folder inside of the workspace folder:

Inside of your Workspace Folder is another folder for each of

the data sources currently open. Within that folder is an Images
folder, where images for the data source can be stored.

Missing Images
In the event of the image file not being found in any of the above
locations, the Replacement Image image will be imported (if
specified in Field Options). In the event of the Replacement Image,
or no image, being imported, the field will be shown as being in error
in the document and in the panel.

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PAGINATION BASICS

SINGLE FIELD
INSERTION
(CONTINUED)

If the picture can be found, it will be imported, aligned and scaled as defined by
the Field Options
The frame shows the key for the record
- again, Field Markers will be shown in
green or red

i
SHOWING AND
HIDING FIELD
MARKERS

If the correct image for a field can not be found, the

Replacement Image specified in Field Options
will be used.

The appearance of the field markers when designing your document

can be specified via the Show/Hide Field Marker panel menu option.
This viewing preference is a document-based preference - therefore,
the visibility setting of the markers will remain with the document.
The visibility of the field markers does not affect EasyCatalogs ability
to update document content, or the users ability to delete them - the
markers are there, but invisible.
Field Markers will also not show when viewing your document in
Preview mode.

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PAGINATION BASICS

LINKING A
DOCUMENT TO A
NEW DATA-SOURCE
(FIELD ADOPTION)

Field Adoption allows fields on a document to be associated to a new

data source. All fields in a document, or only fields on the active
layer, can be relinked to a new data source.
As fields are re-linked based on their names, it is important that
your new data source contains fields of the same name as the data
source that was used to create the document. Also note that fields
are associated to new records based on their key, so it is also a
requirement that the new data source contains data with the same
key fields.
Relinking Fields
Open your document
Open the document that was created with your old data source.
Fields on this document will be re-linked to be associated with a new
data source.
Create your new Data Source
Either create your new data source, or open the panel that you want
to link the document to.

Records from the new data source should contain

fields with the same names as the original data
source, and use the same key fields.

Select Adopt Fields from the panels popout menu

Only fields on the active layer will be adopted

Fields in the document will be linked to the new data source - fields
which were relinked correctly will be shown as green or red in the
new panel.
Fields shown in red need updating in the document, so you should
either correct them manually or use one of the Update Document
options.

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PAGINATION BASICS

REPLACING FIELD
CONTENT

EasyCatalog allows the content of one field to be substituted with the

content of another from the same data source. Field replacement is
useful for producing multiple versions of the same document, using
different pricing for instance.
Replacing Fields

Open your document

Select Replace Fields... from the
panels popout menu.

Specify the field to search

for and the field to replace it
with.
The panel will update to show that the old field (the Search For field)
has been replaced with the new field (the Replace With field). Only
fields on unlocked layers will be replaced.

REMOVING FIELD
MARKERS

To remove field markers from the document - effectively unlinking it

from the data - use the Remove Field Markers menu.

Removing Field Markers breaks the link between

the document and the data permanently.

All
All Field Markers will be removed from the document.
From Panel Selection
Field Markers will be removed from all occurrences of the fields
selected in the document.
From Document Selection
The Field Markers in the current document selection will be
removed.

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PAGINATION BASICS

MARKUP FIELD

If you need to link existing document content to a field in the panel,

use the Markup Field keyboard short-cut.
Use the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (EditKeyboard Shortcuts) to assign a
keyboard shortcut to EasyCatalogs Markup Field operation. This is listed
under the EasyCatalog product area.

Select a field in the panel and the content in the document to link to

Use the keyboard short-cut assigned above to link the document content to the
selected field

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

CHAPTER 9

TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

INTRODUCTION

You have already seen how EasyCatalog can bring dynamic content
to documents by inserting fields into text, tables and picture boxes.
For publications that require templates to be designed in advance and
for automatic pagination, EasyCatalog can also help - by showing
where fields should appear and the style in which they should appear,
EasyCatalog can automatically import and format data content.

DATA
PLACEHOLDERS
(FIELD SPECIFIERS)

EasyCatalog uses Field Specifiers - special fields in templates and

libraries that define where, and how, a field should appear when
paginated.
During the pagination process, Field Specifiers are replaced with field
content - any styling information that has been applied to the Field
Specifier will be retained in the paginated field content. Populated
Field Specifiers are then tracked in the same way as normal fields.
Field Specifiers are not linked to a data source - they simply specify
the name of a field to use. Therefore, templates and libraries can be
used with multiple data sources, providing the field names exist in
each of the data sources.
Field Specifiers have been designed to have as little impact as
possible on the design process.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

INSERTING FIELD
SPECIFIERS

To insert a Field Specifier, select the required field from the Field
Specifiers menu on the EasyCatalog panel. The current document
selection will determine the behaviour of this menu option:
The current document selection determines how a Field Specifier will be inserted
into the document.

If there is a valid text insertion point,

a text-based Field Specifier will be
inserted

If an empty graphic frame is selected,

it will be tagged for graphic importing.

A text-based Field Specifier behaves

like a standard EasyCatalog field, but
is enclosed in blue marker characters.
As will be shown later, the text content
of the specifier determines the
formatting of the final field content.

A frame-based Field Specifier shows

the name of the field that will be used
to populate the graphic frame.

To quickly insert Field Specifiers, hold the CTRL

key (Windows) or Apple key (Macintosh) whilst
double-clicking in the column header in the panel.

Text Field Specifiers

A text-based Field Specifier will be inserted into the text at the
current insertion point.
Field Specifiers behave in exactly the same way as normal fields,
except they are surrounded by blue Field Marker characters. The
Field Marker characters can not be deleted in isolation - the entire
Field Specifier must be removed from the document.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

INSERTING FIELD
SPECIFIERS

A Field Specifier is a place-holder that shows EasyCatalog where, and how,

fields should appear when paginated

(CONTINUED)

During pagination, the Description field will appear here. All formatting settings,
such as font and size will be retained.

The Field Specifier has been replaced by a standard EasyCatalog field after
pagination which is tracked in exactly the same manner as other fields.

The default content of a text-based Field Specifier is the fields

name, and its default style is the Character Style sheet that has been
defined in the Field Options.
During pagination, the text content of the Field Specifier tag will be
merged with the field that is being placed. This merging process
offers a further powerful level of control over formatting, which is
best explained using the example shown below.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

INSERTING FIELD
SPECIFIERS
(CONTINUED)

The content of the Field Specifier is largely unimportant - during pagination,

the field content will be merged with the content of the Field Specifier. This
helps to preserve any formatting that may have been applied.

Here, we are showing EasyCatalog how a typical price should appear. The
last three characters (.99) have superscript applied, although any character
formatting including font and size changes could have been used.

The field content 13.20 was

merged with the content already in
the document 9999.99. By only
replacing the characters it needed
to, EasyCatalog has preserved the
formatting of the field.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

The field content 29.99 was

merged with the content already
in the document 9999.99. Here,
EasyCatalog simply replaced the initial
999 with 2.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

INSERTING FIELD
SPECIFIERS
(CONTINUED)

Picture Field Specifiers

The frame will be tagged with the name of the selected field. During
pagination of a record, the picture for each tagged frame will be
imported. The importing of pictures for Field Specifiers behaves in
exactly the same way as inserting a field directly into a picture box.
The preferences used, such as alignment and scaling options, will be
taken from the Field Options for the field being paginated.
Frame-based Field Specifiers are place-holders to show where pictures should
be imported for a record. The field name shown on the frame is replaced by the
records key

CONVERTING FIELD
MARKERS TO FIELD
SPECIFIERS

Field Markers in the current document selection can be converted to

Field Specifiers using the Convert to Field Specifiers menu option.
Text Field Markers
The text content between the blue marker characters will be replaced
with the field name.
Picture Field Markers
The picture frame will update to show the name of the field; any
image inside of the box will be removed.
Use the Convert to Field Specifier menu to convert Field Markers to Field
Specifiers

The content of text Field Specifier is replaced with the field name; picture Field
Specifiers show the field name and any image content is removed.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

DESIGNING A
TEMPLATE

An EasyCatalog template is simply an InDesign document containing

Field Specifiers where content should appear. Therefore, design your
template document using standard InDesign tools, inserting Field
Specifiers where record content should appear.
All boxes that should be populated with fields for a single record
should be placed in the same InDesign group (using the ObjectGroup
menu)- this grouping identifies to EasyCatalog the boxes that makeup individual records. This step is critical to ensuring that EasyCatalog
uses the same record when populating individual fields in the group.
This grouping is referred to as a Product Style.
Create the Product Style using standard InDesign tools, placing Field Specifiers
where field content should appear.

All of these boxes

should be grouped to
show EasyCatalog that
they all form part of the
same Product Style

Here, a frame-based
Field Specifier has
been used. The scaling,
alignment and other
field options for the
Stock Code field will
be used to import the
picture.

The Description field will appear here - the

paragraph and character attributes will be
retained after pagination

Field Specifiers can appear anywhere text can here they are inside an InDesign table

A number of Product Styles can also be grouped together to assist

with paginating multiple records in one step. For example, if four
individual Product Styles are grouped together, it is possible to
paginate all four styles in one step by dragging four records to any
box in the grouping.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

POPULATING A
TEMPLATE

A template can be paginated by either dragging individual or multiple

records to a Product Style on the template. The grouping of Product
Styles is critical when attempting to paginate multiple records at
once.
Dragging Individual Records
Drag a single record to any box in the Product Style. The Field
Specifiers will be replaced with field content (in the case of textbased Field Specifiers), and pictures will be imported (for framebased Field Specifiers).

Select the record to

be paginated in the
EasyCatalog panel, and
drag it to any of the
boxes in the Product
Style

Boxes for the Product Style

are grouped - if they are not,
only the box dragged to will be
populated with record data

Dr
ag

The Field Specifiers

have been replaced
with standard
EasyCatalog fields.

Dragging Multiple Records

Multiple Product Styles in the document can be populated in a single
drag using the Position Index Pagination Rule. Further information
on this can be found in the Pagination Rules Reference chapter. The
Pagination Rules panel is only available with the optional Pagination
Module.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

EASYCATALOG
LIBRARIES

EasyCatalog brings dynamic content to InDesign libraries by allowing

Field Specifiers to be used in library designs. When dragging a library
item to the page, the Field Specifiers will be replaced with the content
for the currently-selected record(s) in the EasyCatalog panel.
EasyCatalog Libraries allow a number of Product Styles to be
defined and stored in standard InDesign libraries. Using EasyCatalog
libraries allows complex, module-based pages to be created quickly.
The selection of each individual module can be made by the user at
pagination time.
Creating an EasyCatalog Library
An EasyCatalog Library can be created by:
Selecting New EasyCatalog Library from the FileNew menu
Creating a standard InDesign library, or opening an existing
one, and setting the EasyCatalog Library menu option - when
EasyCatalog is loaded a new menu option, EasyCatalog Library
will be shown on each librarys panel menu. The EasyCatalog
Library setting will be preserved with the library file.
Select FileNewEasyCatalog Library to create an EasyCatalog Library.

When EasyCatalog is loaded, each

InDesign library offers a new menu
option - EasyCatalog Library - this
must be checked to enable to Field
Specifiers to be automatically replaced
when library items are dragged to the
document.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

WORKING WITH
EASYCATALOG
LIBRARIES

Designing Your Product Style

Design a single Product Style in the document, using the standard
InDesign tools and inserting Field Specifiers for each of the fields
that should appear. Product Styles are designed in the same way
as for templates (above).
Drag the Product Style to the EasyCatalog Library - it is usually
better to group the boxes in the Product Style before dragging it
to the EasyCatalog Library, as it will be easier to identify a Product
Style in the document after pagination.

Create your Product Style in

the document in the same way as
when creating a template

ag
Dr

Drag the group in

to the EasyCatalog
Library.

The Product Style

is now stored in the
library.

EasyCatalog Libraries behave in the same way as InDesign libraries - multiple

library assets can be stored in a single library

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

WORKING WITH
EASYCATALOG
LIBRARIES
(CONTINUED)

Paginating the Style

Ensure that the EasyCatalog Library menu option is set on the
library.
Select the record that should be used to populate the library item
in one of the EasyCatalog panels.
Drag the required library item to the page. When dropped, each
Field Specifier in the library item will be replaced with field content
in exactly the same way as paginating a template (above).

Select the record that should be

used to populate the library item

Dr
ag
Drag the library item
to the document - when
dropped in the document, Field
Specifiers will be replaced with
the selected record content

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

ASSOCIATING
PRODUCT STYLES
WITH RECORDS

Product Styles can also be associated, and stored against, individual

records from the data source. This association allows the decision of
how a record should appear to be made early on in the production
process, and the actual pagination can occur much later - even by a
different user.

Drag

To associate this Product Style to

a record in the list, simply drag it
from the document to the row in
the panel.

The rows status column

updates to show the record
has associated geometry
This record can now be paginated by dragging from the status column to the
document

Drag

The Product Style is populated in the same way as dragging from an

EasyCatalog Library

Once a Product Style been associated with the record, pagination is

simply the reverse process. Click in the status column and drag the
record to the page - the drag and drop process will behave exactly
like dragging from an EasyCatalog Library. Once the page items have
been dropped on the page, any Field Specifiers in the style will be
populated with field content for the record.

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TEMPLATES AND LIBRARIES

PAGINATION
ATTRIBUTES

These advanced pagination options are

only available with the optional EasyCatalog
Pagination module.

The Pagination Rules panel can be used to apply attributes to each

box in a Product Style.

The Pagination Rules panel shows the

attributes applied to the current document
selection. If the panel is not visible, show
it by using the WindowPagination Rules
menu.
The most commonly-used attributes are shown below, and these
apply whether using the automated pagination provided by the
Pagination Module or during drag and drop operations.
Further information on using the Pagination Rules panel to apply
attributes can be found in the Pagination Attribute Reference
chapter.

AUTOMATICALLY
ADJUSTING THE SIZE
OF BOXES
DELETING BOXES

The size of text and picture boxes can be automatically adjusted to

fit their content by applying the Fitting attribute from the Pagination
Rules panel.
The box can be resized horizontally, vertically or in both directions.
Boxes within the Product Style can be deleted based on the contents
of one of the fields being used to populate the style.
By applying an Action from the Pagination Rules panel it is possible
to define a rule whereby one or more boxes in the style will be deleted
when the value of one of your data fields matches a predefined
condition.

BRINGING BOXES TO
THE FRONT

The z-order of boxes can also be adjusted by applying an Action

from the Pagination Rules panel. This option is useful where you
have multiple boxes defined in your style, but only want one to be
visible (by bringing it to the front) based on the contents of one of
your fields.

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TABLES

CHAPTER 10

TABLES
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog offers a number of options to insert tabular content

into the document. Records and fields are inserted into the table in
the order they are shown in the panel, so by re-ordering and sorting
the data you can define how you want your table to appear before
placing it in the document.

SIMPLE TABLES

Simple tables are ideal for situations where you want to quickly insert
a table and manually reformat it later. Inserting a simple table is as
easy as selecting the records and fields to insert in the panel and
hitting the insert button. The CS3 and CS4 versions of EasyCatalog
apply the default table style [Basic Table] to the inserted table.
Inserting a new table
Use the sorting and filtering options to re-order your data.
Prior to inserting your table, you need to ensure that the data in your
panel is in the order you would like it to appear in the table. For
example, if you want your records to be inserted in ascending price
order ensure that the panel is sorted by the price field.
When inserting the table EasyCatalog will create columns of the
same proportion as the columns in the panel.
Select the fields to insert in the table
Ensure you have a text insertion point
New tables can only be inserted when you have a valid text insertion
point that is not within an existing table.
Hit the Insert button
Column widths are created in the same proportions as in the panel

Table headers
are automatically
created using
the names of the
selected fields

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TABLES

SIMPLE TABLES
(CONTINUED)

Inserting into an existing table

When the insertion point is within an existing document table, data
from the panel will be inserted into it. As much data as possible will
be inserted into the table - it will not be expanded or contracted.
Insertion point

The data from the panel has been inserted into the document table:

These fields have not been placed due to insufficient space in the table

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TABLES

EASYCATALOG
TABLES
DESIGNING THE
TABLE

EasyCatalog also allows the use of tables within Product Styles.

EasyCatalog will expand or contract the table to accommodate the
number of records being paginated, whilst retaining (as much as
possible) the original design.
As with all Product Style components, design the table using the
standard InDesign tools - apply cell and row attributes as necessary,
and insert Field Specifiers into the table cells where field content
should eventually appear. Again, attributes can also be applied to the
Field Specifiers to adjust the appearance of the fields.
Header rows will be populated with data for the first record used in the table

Use Field Specifiers where field

content should appear in the
table. The body of the table will
be expanded or contracted to
accommodate the amount of data
being used to populate the table

Footer rows will be populated with

data for the last record used in the
table

Field Specifiers included in the header and footer rows will be

populated with the fields from the first record being used to populate
the table.
Records are inserted into the table in the order in which they appear
in the panel - therefore, ensure that the records in the panel are sorted
in the order that they should populate the table. See Simple Tables,
above, for more information on configuring the panel.
By default, EasyCatalog assumes that each row will contain a single
record. This is only the case, however, where table cells do not span
multiple rows. All rows spanned by merged cells will be populated
with the same record.

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TABLES

DESIGNING THE
TABLE
(CONTINUED)

Where a table row contains cells that have been merged vertically, all rows
spanned by the merged cell(s) will be populated with data for the same record.
These cells have been merged vertically

Although these Field Specifiers are on different table rows, they will be
populated with data for the same record

Tables can also be populated by dragging a group from the panel to the
document. The table will be populated with all records within the group.

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TABLES

POPULATING THE
TABLE

EasyCatalog Tables can be used in template documents and may

also form part of an EasyCatalog Library item.
Tables within Templates
Select all of the records that should populate the table - groups can
also be selected, in which case the table will be populated with all
records within the group(s). To populate the table, simply drag the
records/groups from the panel to the document.

Records can only be dragged to the document

from the left-most, status, column of the panel.

If the table forms part of a Product Style grouping, drag all of the
records that should populate the table to any box in the group. Any
fields that are outside of the table, including in a different box, will be
populated with the fields from the first record.
To populate the table, drag the records from the panel to the document

AG
DR
The Field Specifiers in the table have been replaced with field content, and
the table has been expanded to accommodate the amount of data dragged

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TABLES

POPULATING THE
TABLE
(CONTINUED)

Tables within EasyCatalog Libraries

Select all of the records (in the panel) that should be used to populate
the table within the EasyCatalog Library design. When the library item
is dragged to the document, any EasyCatalog tables in the design
will be populated with all of the selected records - any fields outside
of the table will be populated with the fields for the first selected
record.
If the table is part of a Product Style stored in an EasyCatalog library, it will be
populated with all of the records selected in the panel prior to dragging to the
document

DR

AG

The table has been populated with all of the records selected in the panel

ADVANCED TABLE
OPTIONS

Properties can also be assigned to table cells, rows and columns that
allow you to define additional behaviours the affect how the table will
appear after pagination. For example, using the Row Options, the
grouping hierarchy of the EasyCatalog data panel can be inserted
into a table by including header and footer rows for each group.

!
EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Advanced table options are intended to

dramatically speed-up production of complex
tables. As some attributes cause the structure
of the table to be changed, such as deleting
columns and merging cells, it may not always
be possible to later re-populate the table with
different records.

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TABLES

GROUP HEADER AND

FOOTER ROWS

The hierarchy of the EasyCatalog data panel can also be used to

populate a table. Rows can be inserted at the start and end of each
group defined in the panel using the TableRow Options dialog:
Table Row Options
This table row will be populated with data for an individual record, and will be
repeated to accommodate the number of records being paginated

Group Header and Footer Rows

This row will be populated with group data

By default, each row in the table will be populated with data for the
records shown in the panel.
Using the Row Options dialog, you can tell EasyCatalog that the
selected row(s) in the table should appear once per group, at the
start of the group (as a header) or at the end (as a footer) of each
group in the table using the Insert pop-up .
Group Menu
Select the point in the grouping hierarchy where this row should
appear. For example, if you require a header row at the start of each
Manufacturer group select Manufacturer in the pop-up.
Allow Single Instances
Using this option, you can configure EasyCatalog to include the
group row even if there is only one instance of the group in the table.
For example, this option can be used to prevent a Manufacturer
heading from appearing in the table when there is only data for one
manufacturer in the table.

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TABLES

GROUP HEADER AND

FOOTER ROWS
(CONTINUED)

Group Header Row Example

Use the TableRow Options dialog to apply properties to the table row:

Here we are defining this table row as

being a group header row: for each
new Manufacturer group this row will
be inserted into the table.

Turn off Allow Single Instances

to prevent the header row from
appearing in tables that contain only
one group.

The header row has not been inserted, as the table only contains data for a single
manufacturer

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TABLES

REMOVING EMPTY
ROWS

Table rows can be removed from the table if they are empty or the
fields they contain are empty.

Delete...

Never
When Fields
Are Empty

When Cells Are

Empty

AUTOMATICALLY
MERGING CELLS

Description
The row will not be deleted after population.
The row will be deleted only if the EasyCatalog fields in the
column are empty. Any other text contained in the cells in the
row will be ignored.
Every cell in the row must be completely empty for the it to
be deleted.

Adjacent table cells can be merged together if their content matches

after being populated with data.
Using the TableCell Options dialog, each cell can be configured to
merge horizontally and/or vertically.
Table Cell Options
At pagination time, table cells can be merged horizontally and vertically if the
content in an adjacent cell matches exactly

Ignoring Empty Cells

When one of the Ignoring Empty Cells options are used, contiguous
empty cells will not be merged together in the final table.

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TABLES

AUTOMATICALLY
MERGING CELLS

Vertical Cell Merging Example

Cells can be merged automatically if their contents match exactly.

(CONTINUED)

Without cell merging:

With cell merging:

Merging Vertically across Groups

Cells will not merge across the groups configured in the EasyCatalog
panel, regardless of whether group rows have been inserted into the
table.

Table cells will not be merged vertically across different groups. In this example,
the bottom cell was not merged into the cells above because it belongs to a
different group in the panel.

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TABLES

REMOVING EMPTY
COLUMNS

When a column is empty, it can be automatically removed using

properties available from the TableColumn Options menu.
Removal of Empty Columns
After being populated with data, columns can be removed if they are empty.
Other columns in the table can be optionally resized to fill the space of the deleted
column(s).

Delete
The options here determine when the column will be deleted, and
what constitutes a column being considered to be empty:
Delete...
Never

Description
The column will never be deleted automatically after
pagination.

When Fields Are

Empty

The column will be deleted only if the EasyCatalog fields in

the column are empty. Any other text contained in the cells in
the column will be ignored.

When Cells Are

Empty

Every cell in the column must be completely empty for the

column to be deleted.

Each cell in this column contains an EasyCatalog field and

the text inc VAT.
When Fields Are Empty will only check the contents of the
EasyCatalog fields in the column (it will ignore any other cell
content). In this example, the column would be deleted.
When Cells Are Empty checks the entire contents of the
cells in the column. In this example, the column would not
be deleted as each cell contains the text inc VAT.

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TABLES

REMOVING EMPTY
COLUMNS
(CONTINUED)

Collapsing Columns Example

The last three columns in this
example have been set to delete
when all fields in the column are
empty.

The width of this column will

expand to fill the space left by the
deleted column(s).
Using these attributes, it is possible to populate the table with data that contains
a variable number of columns. In this example, there are two groups: one
contains data in all three price columns, one contains data in only the first two

This group contains

data in all three price
columns.

This group does not

contain any data in the
10+ column.

Populated with first group with all three columns:

Populated with second

group with only two
columns:

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Column has been

expanded to fill space of
deleted column

Column has
been deleted

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TABLES

REMOVING EMPTY
COLUMNS
(CONTINUED)

Width
The width of each column in the table can be optionally adjusted to
fill the space of the deleted columns.
Width
Fixed

Variable

AUTOMATICALLY
RESIZING COLUMNS

Description
The column will never be resized.
This column will be resized to fill the space left by other deleted
columns. If multiple columns are set to resize, the total space
of all deleted columns will be equally divided amongst all of
the variable-width columns.

Columns can also be automatically resized to fit their content:

Width
Fixed
Variable
Fit to Content
Specified By Field

Description
The column will never be resized.
The option is only used when columns have been deleted from
the table (see above).
The column will be resized to fit its content between the
minimum and maximum parameters.
The width of the column will be set to the value specified by
the nominated field.

Except when using the Specified by Field option, the width of the
table will not exceed the width of the original table prototype.

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TABLES

AUTOMATICALLY
APPLYING CELL
STYLES

This functionality is not available in the CS2 version

of EasyCatalog.

Cell styles can be automatically applied to table cells based on the

content of one of the fields for the record being used to populate the
table row.
Automatically Applying Cell Styles

Select the field that contains the name of the cell style to apply to the selected
table cells.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

The cell style is only applied when the table is first

paginated. If the content of the nominated cell
style field changes, the new cell style will not be
applied during an Update Document operation.

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AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

CHAPTER 11

AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

These advanced pagination options are only available with the optional EasyCatalog
Pagination module.

INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog provides advanced pagination features to allow many

hundreds of records to be paginated into the document in one
operation. By providing an EasyCatalog Library of Product Styles,
along with a series of simple rules, EasyCatalog is able to make
decisions during pagination to determine which Product Style to
use.

PAGINATION STAGES

Configuring EasyCatalog for automatic pagination requires three

stages, each of which is covered in further detail later:
Configure the panel to reflect the structure of your publication,
including the correct hierarchy
Acquire or import your source data
Optionally:
Filter your data to show only the records you would like to
paginate
Group your data so that the panel represents the logical
structure of your publication. For example, if your publication
is arranged by Manufacturer, Make, and Model for instance,
you would group the panel by Manufacturer, Make, and
Model
Sort your data so that the records are shown in the order that
you would like them to flow into the document
Create your Product Styles
Create an EasyCatalog Library that contains the Product Styles
to use during pagination. Multiple library items can be included
in this library for example, you could have a Product Style for
a Manufacturer heading, a Product Style header for Make, etc.
Paginate
Use the Paginate menu to begin the automatic pagination.
Three different pagination types are available, depending on
the type of publication being produced and the available data.

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TYPES OF
PAGINATION

EasyCatalog currently offers four types of pagination:

Into Text Flow
Product Styles are inserted, one after the other, into an InDesign text
flow. A Product Style can be inserted for each group and/or record
shown in the panels hierarchy.
These Product Styles are inserted as anchored boxes (where the
style contains more than one box) or as text (where the style contains
one text box). This type of pagination is the most widely used, and
is suitable for all publications where records simply flow into the
document one after another.
At Positions Specified in the Data
Where your data contains positional data, such as a page number,
x and y co-ordinates, EasyCatalog can use this information to
automatically position Product Styles in the document.
At Page Guide Positions
Product Styles can be automatically placed at the intersection of
guides on each page. This option is useful for publications that follow
a fairly rigid, grid-based, layout or where the paginated Product Styles
will require some manual alteration once pagination has completed.
Using Master Pages
Master Pages pagination uses Product Styles placed on master
pages. The positions of the Product Styles are predetermined by the
master page, the order that the items flow into the master page is
defined by the Position Index pagination attribute.

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CONFIGURE THE
PANEL

By utilising EasyCatalogs filtering, grouping and sorting features,

you can configure an EasyCatalog panel to show both the structure
and running order of records in the document. By thinking of the
EasyCatalog panel as a preview of your final publication, you can
experiment with grouping, sorting and filtering to determine the flow
of records into the document.
Determine the running order of records using EasyCatalogs filtering, sorting and
grouping features

Parent Category group

Child Category group

During pagination, EasyCatalog will:
Look in the pagination library for an item that can be used to paginate the
Parent Category group. If one exists, it will paginated and populated with
the contents of this group.
Look for a library item that can be used to paginate the Child Category
group. If one exists, it will paginated with the contents of this group.
Look for a Product Style that has been configured to be populated with
Record Data. This Product Style will paginated for each record, so in the
example shown above three Product Styles would be inserted.
Continue paginating the other Child Category groups (and records
contained within each). Once all Child Categories have been paginated, the
process will begin again for the next Parent Category.

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CONFIGURE THE
PANEL
(CONTINUED)

Acquire or import source data

Import your data using FileNewEasyCatalog Panel.
covered in detail in Chapter 2, Importing.

This is

The level of automation that is possible with EasyCatalog Pagination

largely depends on the quality of the source data for example,
it should be possible from your data to correctly group the panel
(if necessary) to reflect the structure of your publication. Also,
EasyCatalog can only automatically choose the correct Product
Style to use if this information is available in your data.
Filter your data
Use the Subset menu (Chapter 6, Filtering) to show only the
records that your would like to paginate. This stage is optional,
although it makes pagination easier when your data snapshot
contains thousands of records.
Group your Data
This stage is also optional, and should be used when your data
should appear hierarchically in the publication. If your data is not
hierarchical, you may skip this step your Pagination Library should
also only contain a Paginate Record Data Product Style.
Use the Group menu option to create a grouping that represents
the logical structure of your document. For example, if you require:
Manufacturer Heading
Make Heading
Products
Use the Group Configuration (see Chapter 5, EasyCatalog Panels)
dialog to construct a hierarchy of Manufacturer, Make.
Use the Grouping Configuration dialog to group your data to reflect the
hierarchical structure of your publication.

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CONFIGURE THE
PANEL
(CONTINUED)

As will be shown later, it is possible to create Product Styles that will

be used at each level in the grouping hierarchy so, for example, you
could create a Product Style for a Manufacturer heading, one for a
Make heading, etc. It is also possible to use a different heading style
based on an indicator in your data.
Sort your Data
If your data also requires further sorting, use the panel sorting
options to create the correct running order of records (see Chapter
5, EasyCatalog Panels)

CREATE YOUR
PRODUCT STYLES

Product Styles used during automatic pagination are created in the

same manner as normal, drag and drop Product Styles (see Chapter
9, Templates and Libraries). When using Product Styles during
automatic pagination however, further attributes need to be applied
that identify when a Product Style should be used (at what level in
the hierarchy, for example) and whether any post-processing should
occur, such as resizing boxes. These attributes are applied to the
Product Style using the Pagination Rules panel which is available
from the Window menu.
Creating a Library for Automatic Pagination
A Pagination Library is a standard InDesign library containing
EasyCatalog Product Styles Product Styles need to be defined for
each of the levels in the grouping hierarchy you want to paginate.
During pagination, EasyCatalog can determine which Product Style
to use based on attributes applied using the Pagination Rules
panel.
Create a new library this can
be a standard InDesign library or
an EasyCatalog Library
Create your Product Styles (see Chapter 9, Templates and Libraries).
You need to create all of the Product Styles that are necessary to
automatically paginate your records and groups if you want to
automatically insert Manufacturer headings for example, you would
need to include a Product Style that defines how this heading should
appear.

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CREATE YOUR
PRODUCT STYLES
(CONTINUED)

Inserting one Product Style per record

Product Styles can be defined that will be used each time a record in
the panel should be paginated.
Tables
If a Record Data Product Style contains a table, one table per
record will be inserted into the document, not one row per record. If
you require a single table to be inserted containing multiple records,
define a Product Style thats populated with the parent groups
data.
Record Product Styles
The lowest-level
Product Style, this will
be used to paginate
individual records

Inserting a Product Style for each group shown in the panel

Group Headers are created by defining a Product Style with the
Pagination Rule Paginate set to Group Data. The Group Label
attribute should contain the name of the field used to group the data
in the Grouping Configuration dialog.
A Group Data Product Style will be inserted at the beginning of
pagination for each group being paginated.
Group Product Styles / Group Headers
We want to insert a
header each time a
Parent Category group
should be inserted

Similarly, we want to
insert a header for each
Child Category group

Tables
If a Group Data Product Style contains a table, it will be populated
with all records within the group.

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PAGINATE
Select the records or groups to
paginate. Now choose Paginate
from your EasyCatalog Panel pop-out
menu.

The Pagination Dialog

If the pagination type requires a pagination libary, specify it here using the
Choose button.
Choose the type of pagination to use

TEXT FLOW
PAGINATION

Mainly used for publications where records flow in one after another,
such as directories or price lists, Flow-based pagination will insert
your Product Styles into an InDesign text flow.
Asset Name
This option should be used when the source data contains a field
which identifies the name of a library item to use. Further information
on this can be found later in the chapter (Choosing Product Styles
based on Field Content).
Automatically Insert Pages
EasyCatalog will automatically insert new pages to accommodate
the number of records paginated. In order for EasyCatalog to insert
these pages, you must paginate into a master text frame.
Restrict Vertical Cell Merging to Page Bounds
When merging cells in tables vertically, EasyCatalog will not merge
the cells across page boundaries when this option is set.

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TEXT FLOW
PAGINATION
(CONTINUED)

Break on Field Change / Break Type

During pagination, when the value of nominated field changes
EasyCatalog will insert a column, frame or page break (as defined by
the Break Type pop-up).
Use Item Geometry
If you have associated a Product Style
with a record or group in the panel,
EasyCatalog will use this Product Style
in preference to those in the Pagination
Library.
Configuring Your Pagination Document
Flow-based pagination simply requires an InDesign text box to flow
your Product Styles into.
Automatically Inserting Pages
If you would like the Pagination Module to automatically insert pages
as required, you must paginate into a text frame that has been
overridden from your master page. Further information on working
with, and overriding, master page items can be found in InDesigns
online help which is available from the Help menu.

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TEXT FLOW
PAGINATION

Example of overriding a Master Text Frame

(CONTINUED)

Select Master Text Frame - this option will create a master text frame on the
A-Master
Override the text frame on Page 1

Macintosh: Hold down the Shift and Option (Apple) keys and click in this area
to override the master text box on the page.
Windows: Hold down Shift and Ctrl whilst clicking and click in this area to
override the master text box on the page.

Paginating into this overridden master text frame will allow the pagination
module to automatically insert new pages when required.

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AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

POSITIONAL
PAGINATION

Positional Pagination should be used when your source data contains

information regarding where each Product Style should appear in the
document.
The options available here allow fields from your data source to be
associated with the attributes required to correctly position your
Product Styles.
Positional Pagination

Associate the attributes

EasyCatalog requires for
pagination with fields from
your data source

In this example, we are configuring EasyCatalog to use the y field from the data
source to specify the vertical position of the Product Style - the Units popup
indicates that any measurements in this field are in points. All measurements
are relative to the top-left of the page
Field

Description

Page No

Select the field that contains the page number to position the
Product Style on.

X Position
Y Position

Select the fields that contain the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical)

coordinates. Change the Units popup to specify the units used
in each of the fields.

Width

Height
Asset Name

Select the field that contains the name of the item in the Pagination
Library to use.

Apply Master
Named In

This field is optional, and specifies the name of a field that contains
the name of a master page to apply when paginating each rcord.

!
EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

These fields are optional, and should be specified if your Product

Styles can be resized

The fields chosen for Page No, X Position,

Y Position, Width and Height should be
defined as numeric in Field Options.

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POSITIONAL
PAGINATION

Configuring Your Pagination Document

(CONTINUED)

There are no special requirements for configuring a document

suitable for positional pagination. New pages will be inserted where
required by the data.

GUIDE-BASED
PAGINATION

Useful for publications that follow have a grid type design, Product
Styles can be automatically positioned at the intersection of page or
spread guides.
Guide-based Pagination

Guide-based Pagination will position

Product Styles at the intersection of page
guides

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GUIDE-BASED
PAGINATION

Guide-Based Pagination

(CONTINUED)

Automatically Inserting Pages
If you would like the Pagination module to insert more pages as
required, ensure that your page guides are defined on the master
page(s) for your document.
Direction of Flow
Specify the order of how the Product Styles should flow onto the
page:
Direction of Flow

Across then Down

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Down then Across

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AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

GUIDE-BASED
PAGINATION
(CONTINUED)

Direction

Description

Across/Down

Product Styles will flow horizontally across the page in the order
specified by the panel until there are no more valid positions. The
Product Styles will then flow across the page along the next valid
horizontal guide below.

Down/Across

Product Styles will flow vertically down the page in the order
specified in the panel until there are no more valid positions. The
Product Styles will then flow down the page along the next valid
vertical guide to the right.

Asset
During pagination, EasyCatalog will use the Product Style specified
by the content of the field selected in the Asset popup. For further
information, see Choosing Library items based on Field Content
below.
Apply Master Named In
When pagination moves to a new page, the master page specified by
the contents of the selected field will be applied.
Break on Field Change / Break Type
When the value of the specified field changes, EasyCatalog will
break to the next column, frame or page (as defined by the Break
Type pop-up).
Use next position if item doesnt fit
If the Product Style does not fit inside the bounds of the page, the
next guide intersection will be used. This this option off, pagination
will stop with an error.
Ignore Page Bounds
This option will allow Product Styles to be places outside of the
bounds of the page. For example, if a guide intersection is near the
bottom of the page the Product Style will be allowed to encroach
onto the pasteboard.
Collision Detection / Gutter
Collision Detection will prevent EasyCatalog from positioning your
Product Styles over the top of existing page items, or Product Styles
that have already been paginated. Product Styles will not necessarily
be placed at page guide intersections: the page guide intersections
are used as a starting point for pagination, and Product Styles will be
positioned where possible without overlapping other page items.

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AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

GUIDE-BASED
PAGINATION
(CONTINUED)

The optional gutter parameter will ensure that sufficient space is left
between Product Styles and any obstructions found. This option is
only available when Collision Detection is on.
Configuring Your Pagination Document
Use InDesigns page guides to create a grid of acceptable Product
Style positions.

Ensure that you define your pagination grid

using page guides, not spread guides.

Ensure that page guides - not

spread guides - are placed on
your documents master pages

Do not position guides here

as the Pagination Module will
attempt to place a Product Style
at these intersections.

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CHOOSING PRODUCT
STYLES BASED ON
FIELD CONTENT

During automatic pagination, the Pagination Module can select

which library item to use from the Pagination Library based on the
content of one of your fields in the data.
There are two ways of affecting the library item that is chosen:
Using the Asset Name field on the Pagination Dialog
On the Paginate... dialog, select the the field that contains the name
of the library item to use.

Name each library item using the Information button on the library panel. The
name of the library item should match the contents of one of your fields in the
data.

Specify the name of the field containing the library style name in the Pagination
dialog

Using the Ignore Pagination Rule

If you have the Pagination Module installed, the Pagination Rule
Ignore can also be used to force the Pagination Module to ignore
a library item and choose another when paginating the document.
Further information can be found in the Pagination Reference
section.

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USING MASTER
PAGES PAGINATION

Unlike the other forms of pagination, instead of defining a series of

Product Styles in a Pagination Library, Master Pages pagination
uses Product Styles defined on the documents master pages.
Both the Product Style - and their positions - are defined by the
documents master pages. The order that the data flows into the
document is determined by applying the Position Index attribute to
each Product Style.
Use Position Index to specify the order of pagination on the master page
The order the records will flow into the page or spread is determined by the
Position Index pagination rule.

Product Styles are placed on the

documents master pages.

10 11 12

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USING MASTER
PAGES PAGINATION

Master Pages Pagination

(CONTINUED)

Paginate
The document can either be paginated a page or spread at a time.
Page-based pagination should be used when the Position Indexes
of the Product Styles do not run across multiple pages on the master
spread.
Spread-based pagination should be used when the flow of data
should run across the spread.

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USING MASTER
PAGES PAGINATION

Paginate Pages / Spreads

When paginating Pages, single pages will be inserted into the document when
required. Therefore, if using facing-pages masters, Position Indexes should not
run across the spread onto the next page.

(CONTINUED)

10 11 12

10 11 12

If records or groups need to be paginated at positions across the spread, as

shown in this example, the Spreads option should be used.

10 11 12

13 14 15

16 17 18

19 20 21

22 23 24

When required a new page or spread will be inserted into the

document.
Break On Field Change
When the content of the specified field changes, pagination will
continue on the next page or spread (depending on the setting
specified by above).
Apply Master Named In
When pagination moves to a new page or spread, the master page
specified by the selected field will be applied.
Positions Are
This pop-up defines whether each of the positions specified on the
master pages should be populated with record data or group data.
When populating with group data select the appropriate group name
in the pop-up.

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AUTOMATIC PAGINATION

USING MASTER
PAGES PAGINATION
(CONTINUED)

Configuring Your Pagination Document

Product Styles should be placed on the pagination documents
master pages. The position and running order of the Product Styles is
determined by the Position Index attribute specified on each style.
Multiple master pages can be configured, each with a different
configuration of Product Styles. When pagination moves to a new
page or spread a master page can be applied based on the contents
of one of the fields in the next record being paginated.
Use Position Index to specify the order of pagination on the master page
The order the records will flow into the page or spread is determined by the
Position Index pagination rule.

The Position Index attribute specifies

the order that the records or groups
in the panel will be paginated in the
document. If the panel is grouped,
this Product Style will be populated
with the first group selected in the
panel; if the panel is not grouped this Style will be populated with data for the first
record in the panel.

10 11 12

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CREATING AN INDEX

EasyCatalog provides the ability to update the source data with the
page number each record is placed on. Using this information, it is
possible to generate an index using the Pagination module.

To generate an index, your source data will need

to include a field to receive the page number
the record is placed on. In most cases, this can
simply be an empty column.

After pagination, use the Update PanelWith Page Numbers menu

to populate the page number column in the data. The panel can also
be updated with page number information from multiple documents
by storing them in an InDesign book. Further information on these
options can be found in the Synchronizing chapter.
Once your panel contains the page number information, the Pagination
Module can be used to paginate this data into your index:
Group and sort your data panel so that the records are shown in
the order you would like the index to appear in.
Create a new Pagination Library containing a Product Style that
define how you would like each index entry to appear.

Paginate your index - typically you would use the Into Text Flow
pagination type.

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

CHAPTER 12

PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

The Pagination Rules panel is only available as part of the Pagination Module which
must be purchased separately.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides a reference for the attributes available on the

Pagination Rules panel. Using this panel, it is possible to specify
both processing instructions (such as whether to use a Product Style
during pagination) and layout instructions (such as fitting each box
to the depth of the text).

SHOWING THE
PAGINATION RULES
PANEL

USING THE
PAGINATION RULES
PANEL

If the Pagination Rules panel is not visible,

show it by selecting PaginationRules from
the Window menu.
The Pagination Rules panel is split into two sections: the top portion
shows the attributes assigned to the currently-selected box in the
document; the bottom section shows the actions that have been
defined for the box.
The Pagination Rules Panel
Attributes

Actions

Attributes
Attributes are used to define options that are applied to the box
during pagination.
Actions
Actions are simple rules that are evaluated at pagination time and
can be used, for example, to delete a box based on the contents of
one of the fields being paginated.

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EDITING ATTRIBUTES

To modify any of the properties shown in the panel, double click on it

or select it and use the Edit menu on the pop-out menu.
Double-click on a row to edit the attribute or use the Edit menu option

Some of the attributes shown in the panel are dependant on other

attributes or the current document selection.

APPLYING
PAGINATION RULES

Some attributes, such as the fitting options, can be applied to any

of the boxes within the Product Style. Other attributes affect how
the Product Style is used during pagination or how it is placed in
the document - in this instance, the Pagination attribute should be
applied to the Product Style group.
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Postional

Outermost/group box
None

Where your Product Style consists of multiple boxes, group the boxes together
and apply the pagination rule to the group. If your Product Style consists of a
single box, apply the pagination rule to this box.

Apply the pagination rule to the group or the only

box in the Product Style

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Paginate
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Postional

Apply to

Outermost/group box

Dependant Attributes

None

Apply this attribute to the outer-most box in the Product Style (if
the Product Style consists of multiple boxes, group them together
and apply this attribute to the group box). This attribute is used
to associate the Product Style with a level in your panel grouping
hierarchy.
The configuration of this field is mandatory for all types of automatic
pagination.
Paginate...

Description

Once Per Record

The Product Style should be used each time EasyCatalog

wants to insert an individual record into the document.

Once Per Group

Apply this attribute to Product Styles that should be used

when paginating groups. You must set the Group Label
field to specify which group the Product Style should be
used for. For example, to specify that the Product Style
should be used to paginate the Manufacturer group, set
the Group Label attribute to Manufacturer.

Furniture Data

This attribute is typically applied to page headings that

contain information about the first or last record on a page or
spread. See the Furniture chapter for more information.
Paginate Record Data

The Product Style will

be inserted for each
record in the panel
when Paginate Record
Data is set.

Paginate Group Data

In this example, the panel is grouped by Parent Category, Child Category and
Manufacturer. Product Styles can be defined to paginate each of these levels.
If the Group Label is
set to Child Category
the Product Style will
be used to paginate
each Child Category
group. If the Product
Style contains a table,
it will be populated
with all sub-groups and
records within the Child
Category group.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE
(CONTINUED)

When using the Relational Module, the Group

Name attribute should always be set as a
Relational panel can contain records in multiple
groups.

Group Name
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Postional

Apply to

Outermost/group box

Dependant Attributes

None

This attribute specifies the point in the panel grouping hierarchy

to use this library item. For example, if this library item should be
inserted once for each Manufacturer group, Manufacturer should
be specified in this attribute.
Relational Module Only
When paginating from a Relational panel, it is necessary to always
specify this attribute (even the Paginate has been set to Record
Data) as records can appear at any point in the grouping hierarchy.
Insert
Pagination Types

Flow-based

Apply to

Outermost/group box

Dependant Attributes

None

This option affects whether the Product Style will be anchored in the
pagination text flow or if the text content of the Product Style will be
inserted.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Attribute

Description

As Inline

This option will insert the Product Style as an anchored box

in the pagination text flow this is required if your Style
consists of more than one box.

Frame Contents

This option must only be used when the Product Style

consists of one text box. Instead of anchoring the Product
Style in the text flow, EasyCatalog will copy the text content
from the text box and paste it into the pagination text flow.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Insert Flow-based Pagination Rule

Frame Contents will insert the contents of the Product Style into the
pagination text flow.

(CONTINUED)

As Inline will anchor the Product Style into the pagination text flow.

Each record has been inserted as an

anchored box into the pagination text flow.

Paragraph Style
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based
Outermost/group box
Insert As Inline

The Paragraph Style Sheet named here will be applied to the Product
Style when it is anchored in the pagination text flow. Using InDesigns
paragraph style sheets allows typographical controls, such as space
before, keep together, etc to be applied to each anchored Style.
Note that the Paragraph Style Sheet specified here must be present
in the document being paginated into.
Append Return
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based
Outermost/group box
Insert As Inline

When inserting the Product Style As Inline, this option specifies

whether to add a carriage-return after the anchored item.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Force Break

(CONTINUED)

Flow-based, Guide-based
Not all options available with both types of
pagination.

Pagination Types
Apply to

Outermost/group box

Dependant Attributes

None

This option specifies whether the Product Style should be inserted

on a new page, or in a new column or frame.
Option

Description

No Break

The Product Style will be inserted after the previous Product

Style.
Flow-based and Guide-based Pagination Only

Page

EasyCatalog will ensure that the Product Style is being

placed onto a new page. A page-break character may be
inserted before the Product Style to ensure this is the case.
Flow-based Pagination
The Product Style will be inserted in a new column. A
column-break character may be inserted before the Product
Style to ensure this is the case.
Guide-based Pagination

Column

The Direction of Flow selected on the Paginate... dialog

affects how this attribute is applied:

When paginating Down and Across, pagination will move

to the next vertical column. When paginating Across and
Down, pagination will move to the next horizontal row.
Flow-based Pagination Only
Frame

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

The Product Style will be inserted in a new frame. A framebreak character may be inserted before the Product Style to
ensure this is the case.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Prevent Break
Pagination Types

(CONTINUED)

Flow-based

Apply to

Outermost/group box

Dependant Attributes

Insert At Frame Contents

This option specifies whether the Product Style should be allowed to

break across pages, columns or frames.
Option

Description

Dont Prevent
Breaking

The Product Style will be allowed to break across any frame,

page or column.

Over Columns

The Product Style will not be allowed to break across a

column. If it does, a column-break character will be inserted
before the Product Style content.

Over Pages

The Product Style will not be allowed to break across a page.

If it does, a page-break character will be inserted before the
Product Style content.

Over Frames

The Product Style will not be allowed to break across a

frame. If it does, a frame-break character will be inserted
before the Product Style content.

Fitting
Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional
Not all options available with all types of pagination.

Pagination Types
Apply to

Any box in the Product Style

Dependant Attributes

None

Fitting options are provided to automatically adjust the size of each

box within the Product Style to accommodate a variable amount of
data. For example, the depth of a text box can be automatically
resized to the depth of its text.
Fitting Option
None

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Text Boxes

Picture Boxes

The size of the box will remain fixed.

Frame To Content

If there is only one line of

text in the box, both the
width and depth of the box
will be adjusted to the size
of the text. Where there are
multiple lines of text, only the
depth will be adjusted.

Content To Frame

The text content will be

resized until it fits within the
box. Constraints can be The picture content will be
specified in the Minimum/ resized to fit the frame.
Maximum Text Scale/Size
attributes.

The Field Options will be

used to initially import the
image into the box, then
both the width and depth will
be adjusted to the size of the
picture content.

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Fitting Option

(CONTINUED)

Frame Depth To
Content Depth

Grow and Flow

Text Boxes

Picture Boxes

The Field Options will be

The height of the box will used to initially import the
be resized to the height of image into the box, then the
the text. The width will be height of the picture box will
unaffected, regardless of the be resized to the height of
number of lines of text.
the picture box. The width
will be unaffected.
The depth of the text box will
expand to accommodate the
amount of text, constrained
to the bottom margin of
the page. If the box is still This setting does not affect
overset, the Product Style Picture boxes.
will be inserted again on the
next page and any boxes
marked as Grow and Flow
will be linked together.

Frame Depth to
Field Depth

Frame to Content
Depth and Width

The depth of the box will

be specified by one of the
other fields for the record
being used to paginate.
When this option is selected
a Field Name attribute will
appear: enter the name of
the field that contains the
frame depth here. Ensure
that the field contains the
measurement system - e.g.
10mm. Use the Field Suffix
field option to add this if
necessary.

The frame will be resized to

the height specified by the
nominated field, then the
Field Options will be used
to import the image content
within this box.

Both the width and heigh of the frame will be adjusted until
the content fits.

Fit Content To Frame

Fit Content To Frame will automatically adjust the size of the boxs
text content until it fits. Both the point size and horizontal scale can
be adjusted until the text fits.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Maximum and Minimum parameters can be specified for point size and
horizontal scale adjustment. All parameters a percentages based on the
size of the text in the box prior to fitting.

(CONTINUED)

Example:
Assuming that before fitting the text box contains 10pt text, the
Minimum Text Size is set to 50 and the Maximum Text Size is set to
150:
If the text is overset, the size of the text will be reduced until all of the
text fits in the box with a minimum point size of 5pt (50% of 10pt).
Otherwise, the text size will be increased until it fits the box exactly,
up to a maximum of 15pt (150% of 10pt).
Grow and Flow (Guide-Based Pagination Only)
The Grow and Flow fitting option provides the ability for a Product
Style to be split when pagination reaches the bottom of the page.
When applied to a text frame, the Grow and Flow fitting option will
expand the text box vertically until all of the text fits in the box, or until
the pages bottom margin is reached. In this instance, the Product
Style will be inserted at the start of the next page and any frames with
the Grow and Flow fitting attribute applied will be linked together,
allowing their text content to flow across the page boundary.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Grow and Flow

Guide-Based Pagination Only

(CONTINUED)

If the text in the box is overset, the frames height will be

expanded until either the text fits or the frame is as deep
as the page. If the pages bottom margin is reached, the
Product Style will be inserted on the following page and
the boxes with the Grow and Flow attribute set will be
linked together.

Release Anchored Objects

Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

After pagination, a Release will be performed on all anchored boxes

within any boxes with this attribute applied. Once released, the
anchored boxes become standard InDesign frames which can be
moved independently of their original anchor location.
Ungroup
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

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Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE
(CONTINUED)

By applying this attribute to a group box, an Ungroup will be

performed after pagination. This option is useful where you want
to manually edit the document after pagination and do not want to
manually go through the document ungrouping each Product Style.
Usage
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Outermost/group box
None

Applied to the outer-most box in Product Style, this option allows

different Product Styles to be used depending on the record or
groups position within its parent group.

Different styles can

be defined that are
First Instance used to paginate
the first record in
the group; the last
record in the group
Regular
and everything
inbetween.
Last Instance
Single Instance
A style can also be defined for use
when there is a single record or
group within the group.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Position Index
Pagination Types

(CONTINUED)

Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

Position index can be used to force the nth record or sub-group to

populate a box within the Product Style.
Position
Index 1

Position
Index 2

Position
Index 4

Each box within the

Product Style can be
assigned a Position
Index. All boxes
within a group box
will be populated
with the same record
or group, unless a
Position Index is
specified in any of the
child boxes.

When dragging a group of records, the first record will go into the box set with
Position Index 1, the second into Position Index 2, etc.

Highest/Lowest Position Index

A Position Index of HIGHEST {field name} or LOWEST {field name}
can be specified to populate the box with the record containing the
highest or lowest value in the given field.

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ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE
(CONTINUED)

Specify the name of the field in { brackets }. In this example, the record
containing the highest price field will be used to populate the box.

Continuation
Pagination Types

Guide-based

Apply to

Outermost/Group Box

Dependant Attributes

None

By setting the Continuation attribute to Yes, the Product Style will

be used whenever pagination moves to a new page.
Option

Description

No

This item will not be used when pagination continues on a

new page.

Yes

This item will be used when pagination continues on a new

page.

Grow and Flow

This item will be used when a Grow and Flow item is about
to continue paginating on a new page.

Remove Blank Lines for Empty Fields

Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

This attribute will remove any lines in the textual content of the box
that contain only empty fields. This attribute is useful when paginating
data that contains optional values that should not be paginated if
empty.
Strip White Space
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

White space (tabs, spaces, etc) at the end of the text content in
the box will be stripped after pagination. This attribute is useful for
removing unwanted extra carriage returns.

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE

Apply Object Style From Field

Pagination Types

(CONTINUED)

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Apply to

Any box in the Product Style

Dependant Attributes

None

The Object Style specified by the contents of the nominated field will
be applied to this box during pagination.
This object style is applied only during pagination, so will not change
during an Update Document operation if the contents of the
nominated field change.
Apply Swatch From Field
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Apply to

Any box in the Product Style

Dependant Attributes

None

The nominated field can either contain the name of a swatch to apply
to the box or a hexadecimal value that specifies an RGB colour to
use - e.g.
#FF0000
If the field contains My Swatch, the swatch called My Swatch will
be applied during pagination time; if the field contains #FF0000 the
box will be coloured red. The format of the field content should be:
#RRGGBB
Where RR is a hexadecimal value for the red component of the
colour; GG is the green component and BB is the blue.
When Frame Is Empty
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Apply to

Any box in the Product Style

Dependant Attributes

None

Specify an action to take when the box is empty.

Option

Description

Do Nothing

The box will remain in the document empty.

Delete

The box will be removed from the document.

Page Orientation
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

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Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Outermost/Group Box
None

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE
(CONTINUED)

Specifies whether this library item should be used on left-hand

pages, right-hand pages or either. The use of this attribute allows
you to define different library items that should be used on left or
right pages.
Option
Left
Right
Any

Description
This library item will be used on left-hand pages only.
This library item will be used on right-hand pages only.
This library item can be used for any type of page.

Populate Tables
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Apply to

Any box in the Product Style

Dependant Attributes

None

Specifies whether the table should be populated one row per record
or one column per record.
Option

Description

Horizontally

The table will be expanded or contracted horizontally:

columns will be added or removed from the table to
accommodate the amount of data being paginated.

Vertically

The table will be expanded or contracted vertically: rows will

be added or removed from the table to accommodate the
amount of data being paginated.

Keep With Next

Pagination Types

Guide-based

Apply to

Outermost/Group Box

Dependant Attributes

None

This attribute works in a similar manner to the Pagraph keep option,

and will attempt to keep this library item with the one that is paginated
next. This option is especially useful for paginating headers that
should not become separated from the first item in the group.
Option

Description

Yes

Where possible this library item will be kept with the nextpaginated item.

No

This item will not be kept with the next-paginated item.

Repeat
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

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Guide-based
Outermost/Group Box
None

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

ATTRIBUTE
REFERENCE
(CONTINUED)

Specifies whether this item should repeat at the start of each new
colum or page. Within a single library, different items may be
specified that repeat at the start of each new page and column.
Option
Never
Every Column
Every Page

ACTIONS
CREATING AND
EDITING ACTIONS

Description
This item will not be repeated.
This item will be repeated at the start of each new column.
This item will be repeated at the start of each new page.

Actions are evaluated at pagination time, and allow you to affect the
appearance of boxes within your Product Style based on the data
being paginated.

Delete

Add

Actions can be
added, edited
and deleted from
the Pagination
Rules Panels
pop-out menu or
using the buttons
at the bottom of
the panel

Actions consist of two parts: an expression to evaluate (e.g. if

the price field is greater than 100), and an action to perform if the
expression is true.

When this
expression
evaluates to
true....
... this action will
be applied to the
box.

For alphanumeric fields, operators such as Starts with, Ends with,

etc are available. Numeric fields must use the numeric operators
such as Less than, Greater than, etc.

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For fields defined in Field Options as Alphanumeric use the operators listed
in the top of the operators pop-up. For numeric field types, including currency
types, use the operators shown at the bottom of the operator pop-up.

Alphanumeric
comparison
operators

Numeric
comparison
operators

Bring to Front
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

When the action evaluates to true, the box will be moved to the
front of the document z-order. This action is the equivalent of using
the ObjectArrangeBring to Front menu option.
Delete
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

The box will be deleted when the action expression evaluates to true.
Show/Hide
Pagination Types
Apply to
Dependant Attributes

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Any box in the Product Style
None

Available in the CS4 and CS5 versions only, this attribute will show
or hide the box if the action evaluates to true. If the action later
evaluates to false the opposite action will be taken.
To hide the box in CS4, the box is set to non printing and is
transparent; later versions takes advantage of InDesigns ability to
hide and show individual page items.

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PAGINATION ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE

Ignore
Pagination Types

Flow-based, Guide-based, Positional

Apply to

Outermost/Group Box

Dependant Attributes

None

If the action evaluates to true, this Product Style will be ignored by

the Pagination module, causing another Product Style to be chosen
(if available). Using this attribute it is possible to have multiple
Product Styles configured which the Pagination Module can choose
from during pagination based on the contents of one of your fields,
for example.

SPECIAL FIELD
NAMES

EasyCatalog also offers reserved field names that can be used as the
field name in the action:
Field

Description

positioningroup

Provides the index number of the record being

paginated within its parent group - i.e. the first
record would have an index number of 1, the
second would be 2, etc.

groupcount

Provides the number of records in the group

being paginated.

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

CHAPTER 13

CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

!

Custom Fields are only available in the CS4 - CS6 versions of EasyCatalog. For details
of how to upgrade please visit our web site. Not all functions listed in this reference are
available in the CS4 version.

INTRODUCTION

Custom Fields provide a way to add new fields to the source data,
the value of which can be computed using predefined functions.
Typical applications for Custom Fields include the ability to create
summary data (such as the sum of all values in a given field) and data
manipulation (e.g. extracting the first character from a field).
Custom Fields behave in exactly the same way as other EasyCatalog
fields, and Field Specifiers for Custom Fields can be inserted into
Product Styles where appropriate.
This chapter lists the functions that are available, and gives an
example of their use.

CREATING A NEW
CUSTOM FIELD

New Custom Fields can be created in the EasyCatalog data panel by

right-clicking (or Ctrl-clicking on
Macintosh) in the data area of
the panel and selecting New
Custom Field.
Custom Fields are configured
using an additional pane on the
Field Options dialog.

i
EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Custom Fields can also be used with Relational

Data sources, although they must be created in the
appropriate child data source.

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

TYPES OF
FUNCTIONS

Functions in this reference have been split into five categories:

String Manipulation
String manipulation functions are available to enable you to extract
characters from a field, change the case of a field or determine the
length of a field.
String manipulation is often necessary when the source data needs
to be 'cleaned-up' before insertion into the document.
Math Functions
Several math functions are available that operate on either a recordby-record basis or on groups of records. Many functions, such as
'SUM' offer a group-based equivalent (e.g. 'GROUPSUM').
Logic Functions
Logic functions can be used to make decisions based on the content
of your data. For example, you could output a field only if the price
field is greater than a specified value.
Utility Functions
Utility functions have been provided to, for example, determine
whether an image exists. This information could then be used later
to make decisions during pagination.
Group Functions
Group functions operate on groups of records and are often used
to produce summary information for multiple records. For example,
there is a group function - 'GROUPRTOTAL' - that creates a running
total of a specified field within a group.
As Custom Fields are defined at the data source level, the visible
structure of the data in your panel is not important and cannot be
used to determine the order of records used by the group functions.
Therefore, all group functions typically have two parameters: a group
path and a field to sort the records by. The group path parameter
defines the fields use to group the data.
When using group functions, the Custom Field for all records in the
group will typically (but not always) be populated with the same value.
Example
GROUPLIST('Parent

Category:Child

Category','Manufacturer',

'Manufacturer',',',',', ' and ')

The 'GROUPLIST' function will populate the Custom Field with a list
of all unique values in a specified field. In this example, we want to
create a comma separated list of all manufacturers within each Child
Category group.

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

COMBINING
FUNCTIONS

Multiple functions can be used within the same Custom Field

statement to create complex operations:
IF(FIELDVAL('Price'),'>=',1,CONCAT('',FIELDVAL('Price')),
CONCAT(FIELDVAL('Price'),'p'))

In this example, if the 'Price' field is greater than or equal to 1 the

price will be prefixed with a pound symbol; otherwise it will be
suffixed with a pence symbol.

TYPES OF
PARAMETER

Each function shown in this reference chapter will expect its

parameters to be of a specific type. These parameter types are:
Type

Description

Field

Specify only the name of the field. Usually, the field name would be
enclosed in single quotes. e.g: LEFTSTR ('Description',5)

String

Either specify a string literal or use the FIELDSTR command to

retrieve the contents of another field. e.g.: LENGTH(FIELDSTR('

Manufacturer'))

WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN FIELDSTR
AND FIELDVAL?

Number

Either specify a numeric literal or use the FIELDVAL command to retrieve

the numeric contents of another field.IF(FIELDVAL('Price')...

...

Some functions show a parameter of type '...', which indicates that

the function accepts any number of parameters. Typically, the type of
these additional parameters is the same as the preceding parameter.

The two most commonly used functions are FIELDSTR and FIELDVAL.
If they are being used as arguments to another function, as a general
rule use FIELDVAL if the function is expecting a numeric argument;
use FIELDSTR if it's expecting a string.
FIELDSTR will return the formatted content of the given field -

including any prefixes, suffixes, number formats, etc. FIELDVAL

will return the raw numeric content of the field excluding number
formatting, prefixes, etc.

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

STRING FUNCTIONS

SUBSTR
This function is used to extract specific characters from another field.
Parameter

Type

Description

Field Name

Field

Start Index

Integer

The index of the first character, starting at 0.

Length

Integer

The number of characters to extract.

The name of the field to extract characters from.

Example:
SUBSTR (Manufacturer,3,8)
Manufacturer

SUBSTR(Manufacturer, 3, 8)

Apple Computer

le Compu

LEFTSTR
This function returns characters from the left (start) of the given field.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Length

Integer

Description
The name of the field to extract characters from.
The number of characters to extract.

Example:
LEFTSTR (Manufacturer,5)
Manufacturer

LEFTSTR (Manufacturer,5)

Apple Computer

Apple

RIGHTSTR
This function returns characters from the right (end) of the given field.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Length

Integer

Description
The name of the field to extract characters from.
The number of characters to extract.

Example:
RIGHTSTR (Manufacturer,3)

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Manufacturer

RIGHTSTR (Manufacturer,3)

Apple Computer

ter

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

PARTSTR
This function can be used to extract a specific element from a
delimited field.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The name of the field to extract characters from.

Part No.

Integer

The element number to retrieve (numbered from zero).

Delimiter

String

The character(s) used to delimit each part of the

string.

Example:
PARTSTR(images, 2, ',')
Images

PARTSTR(images, 2, ',')

Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3

Picture 3

EAN13
This function can be used to translate from an EAN13 code into the
correct glyphs in the free 'eanbwrp36tt' font.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The name of the field to containing the EAN13 code.

Example:
EAN13('Stock Code')

The output from this function should be placed in the document and
the 'eanbwrp36tt' font applied to its content.
EAN8
This function can be used to translate from an EAN8 code into the
correct glyphs in the free 'eanbwrp36tt' font.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The name of the field to containing the EAN8 code.

Example:
EAN8('Stock Code')

The output from this function should be placed in the document and
the 'eanbwrp36tt' font applied to its content.

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

LOWER
Converts the contents of the given field to lower case.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The name of the field to convert.

Example:
LOWER('Manufacturer')
Manufacturer

LOWER('Manufacturer')

Apple Computer

apple computer

UPPER
Converts the contents of the given field to upper case.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The name of the field to convert.

Example:
UPPER('Manufacturer')
Manufacturer

UPPER('Manufacturer')

Apple Computer

APPLE COMPUTER

CONCAT
This function will concatenate (join) the values of all of its arguments
together.
Parameter

Type

Argument

String

Description
A value to concatenate to the result.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

...

Example:
CONCAT(FIELDSTR('Price'),', Available in ',FIELDSTR('Availability'))

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

Availability

CONCAT(FIELDSTR('Price'),', Available in
',FIELDSTR('Availability'))

10.99

2 days

10.99, Available in 2 days

5.99

1 week

5.99, Available in 1 week

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

REGEX
Performs a regular expression search and replace.
Parameter

Type

Description

String to Search

String

The string to search within

Regular Expression

String

The regular expression statement to search for

String to Replace

String

The string to replace when a match is found.

Example:
REGEX(FIELDSTR(Stock Code), '^(....)(...)(..)','\1.\2.\3'))
Stock Code

REGEX

AAAA12345

AAAA.123.45

BBBB67890

BBBB.678.90

CCCC12345

CCCC.123.45

DDDD67890

DDDD.678.90

STRIPWHITESPACE
Strip white space from the given string.
Parameter

Type

Description

String

String

The string to remove white space from

Strip All

Boolean

When TRUE, remove all white space from the

string; when FALSE only remove white space
from the start and end of the string.

Example:
STRIPWHITESPACE(FIELDSTR('Category'))

TITLECASE
Change the case of the given string to Title Case.
Parameter
String

Type
String

Description
The string to process

Example:
TITLECASE(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'))

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Body Copy

TITLECASE(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'))

this sentence should appear in title

case

This Sentence Should Appear In Title

Case

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

SENTENCECASE
Change the case of the given string to sentence case.
Parameter
String

Type
String

Description
The string to process

Example:
SENTENCECASE(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'))
Body Copy

SENTENCECASE(FIELDSTR('Description'))

this sentence should appear in

sentence case

This sentence should appear in sentence

case

LENGTH
Returns the length of the given string.
Parameter
String

Type
String

Description
The string to return the length of

Example:
LENGTH(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'))

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Body Copy

LENGTH(FIELDSTR('Manufacturer'))

Apple Computer

14

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

INDEXOF
Returns the character index of the first instance of one string within
another, or -1 if the first string does not contain the second.
Parameter

Type

Description

Search In

String

A string to search within

Search For

String

A string to search for

Start Index

Integer

(Optional) The character index to start searching

at (default: 0).

Example:
INDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Manufacturer'), 'Apple')
Manufacturer

INDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Manufacturer'), 'Apple')

Apple iMac

I like Apples

Dell Computer

-1

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

Manufacturer

INDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Manufacturer'), 'Apple', 3)

Apple iMac

I like Apples

Dell Computer

-1

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

14

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

LASTINDEXOF
Returns the character index of the last instance of one string within
another, or -1 if the first string does not contain the second.
Parameter

Type

Description

Search In

String

A string to search within

Search For

String

A string to search for

Start Index

Intgeger

(Optional) The character index to start searching

at (default: 0).

Example:
LASTINDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'Apple')
Body Copy

LASTINDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'Apple')

Apple iMac

I like Apples

Dell Computer

-1

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

14

Body Copy

LASTINDEXOF(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'Apple', 3)

Apple iMac

I like Apples

-1

Dell Computer

-1

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

COUNTOF
Returns the number of times one string appears within another.
Parameter

Type

Description

Search In

String

A string to search within

Search For

String

A string to search for

Example:
COUNTOF(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'pl')
Body Copy

COUNTOF(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'pl')

Apple iMac

I like Apples

Dell Computer

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

CONTAINSANY
Tests to see if the 'Search In' string contains any of the strings
specified by the subsequent parameters.
Parameter

Type

Description

Search In

String

A string to search within

Search For

String

A string to search for

...

String

Multiple 'Search For' parameters can be

specified.

Example:
CONTAINSANY(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'A', 'iMac')
Body Copy

CONTAINSANY(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'A', 'iMac')

Apple iMac

TRUE

I like Apples

TRUE

Dell Computer

FALSE

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

TRUE

CONTAINSALL
Tests to see if the 'Search In' string contains all of the strings specified
by the subsequent parameters.
Parameter

Type

Description

Search In

String

A string to search within

Search For

String

A string to search for

...

String

Multiple 'Search For' parameters can be

specified.

Example:
CONTAINSALL(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'A', 'iMac')
Body Copy

CONTAINSANY(FIELDSTR('Body Copy'), 'A', 'iMac')

Apple iMac

TRUE

I like Apples

FALSE

Dell Computer

FALSE

Apple iMac by Apple, Inc.

TRUE

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

CHAR
Inserts a character with the given unicode value into the string.
Parameter
Character Code

Type

Description

Integer

The unicode value of the character to insert.

Hexadecimal values should be prefixed with '%'.

Example:
CHAR(65)
CHAR(65)
A

CHAR(%41)
CHAR(%41)
A

URLENCODE/URLDECODE
URL-encodes or URL-decoded the given string.
Parameter
String

Type

Description

String

The string to URL-encode or URL-decode

Example:
URLENCODE('This is a test')
URLENCODE('This is a test')
This%20is%20a%20test

URLENCODE('This%20is%20a%20test')
URLDECODE('This%20is%20a%20test')
This is a test

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

DISTINCTLIST
Creates a delimited list containg only the unique values from the
parameters passed to the function.
Parameter

Type

Description

Separator

String

The separator to use in the list

...

String

A string to add to the list. If its value has

already been added it will not be added again.

Example:
Field A

Field B

Field C

Apple iMac

Dell Computer

Apple iMac

DISCTINCTLIST(',',FIELDSTR('field

a'),

FIELDSTR('field

b'),

FIELDSTR('field c'))
Apple iMac, Dell Computer

REMOVEBLANKLINES
Removes empty paragraphs from the given text. Only paragraphs
ending with a hard return are removed. This function is useful for
combining the contents of multiple fields and ensuring that empty
paragraphs do result from the concatenation.
Parameter
Text

Type
String

Description
The text to process

Example:
Field A

Field B

Apple iMac

Field C
Dell Computer

A simple concatenation of these fields would be:

CONCAT(FIELDSTR('Field A'),'^p',FIELDSTR('Field B'),'^p',FIELDSTR('Field C'))

This would result in an empty paragraph if any of the fields are empty.
CONCAT(FIELSTR('Field A'),'^p',FIELSTR('Field B'),'^p',FIELDSTR('Field C'))
Apple iMac

Dell Computer

The REMOVEBLANKLINES function will remove any empty

paragraphs:
REMOVEBLANKLINES(CONCAT(FIELSTR('Field
A'),'^p',FIELSTR('Field B'),'^p',FIELDSTR('Field C')))
Apple iMac
Dell Computer

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

FIELDSTR
Returns the string contents of the given field.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The field to retrieve

Example:
FIELDSTR('Field A')

FIELDVAL
Returns the numeric value of the given field. A numeric value is only
retrieved for fields defined as one of the numeric types such as
'Number' or 'Currency'.
Parameter

Type

Field Name

Field

Description
The field to retrieve

Example:
FIELDVAL('Field A')

LITERAL
The LITERAL function should be used to supply a string to a function
that is expecting a field name.
Parameter

Type

String literal

String

Description
This string will be passed as-is.

As an example, the LEFTSTR command expects a field name as the

first parameter. If, however, you want to pass a fixed string to this
function the LITERAL command should be used:
LEFTSTR(LITERAL('abcdefg'),2)

I2OF5
This function can be used to convert a numeric code into the interleaved
2-of-5 barcode format. The characters output by this function should
be formatted in the document using the 'Dobson2OF5' font.
Parameter

Type

Description

Code

String

The numeric code to convert to Interleaved 2-of-5

format.

Example:
I2OF5(FIELDSTR('mycode'))

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STRING FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

CODE128
This function can be used to convert a purely numeric code into
a Variant C Code 128 barcode, or an alphanumeric string into a
Variant B code 128 barcode. The glyphs produced by this function
should be formatted in the document using the 'Code128bWin' or
'Code128bWinLarge' fonts.
Parameter

Type

Code

String

Description
The string to convert to a Code 128 barcode.

Example:
CODE128(FIELDSTR('mycode'))

MATH FUNCTIONS

MUL
Multiply one field by another.
Parameter

Type

Description

LHS

Number

A number to multiply

Factor

Number

The number to multiply by

Example:
MUL(FIELDVAL(Price),10)
Price

MUL

10.00

100.00

15.00

150.00

17.50

175.00

DIV
Divide one field by another.
Parameter

Type

Description

LHS

Number

A number to divide

Factor

Number

The number to divide by

Example:
MUL(FIELDVAL(Price),10)

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Price

DIV

10.00

1.00

15.00

1.50

17.50

1.75

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MATH FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

MOD
The MOD operation finds the remainder of the division of one number
by another.
Parameter

Type

Description

LHS

Number

A number to divide

Factor

Number

The number to divide by

Example:
MOD(FIELDVAL(Price),10)
Price

MOD

10.00

0.00

15.00

5.00

17.50

7.50

SUM
This function returns the sum of all of its arguments.
Parameter

Type

Argument

Number

...

...

Description
A value to use as part of the sum.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

Example:
SUM(FIELDVAL('Price'), 10)

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

SUM

10.00

20.00

15.00

25.00

17.50

27.50

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MATH FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

SUB
This function will subtract the values in the second and subsequent
parameters from the first parameter..
Parameter

Type

Argument

Number

...

...

Description
A value to use as part of the sum.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

Example:
SUB(FIELDVAL('Price'), 10, 5)
Price

SUB

20.00

5.00

25.00

10.00

27.50

12.50

MIN
This function returns the lowest value in its arguments.
Parameter

Type

Argument

Number

Description
A value to test.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

...

Example:
MIN(FIELDVAL('Price'),10)

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

MIN

5.00

5.00

10.00

10.00

15.00

10.00

17.50

10.00

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MATH FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

MAX
This function returns the highest value in its arguments.
Parameter

Type

Argument

Number

...

...

Description
A value to test.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

Example:
MAX(FIELDVAL('Price'),10)
Price

MAX

5.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

15.00

15.00

17.50

17.50

AVG
This function returns the numerical average of its arguments.
Parameter

Type

Argument

Number

Description
A value to test.
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

...

Example:
AVG(FIELDVAL('Price'),10)

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

AVG

5.00

7.50

10.00

10.00

15.00

12.50

17.50

13.75

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MATH FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

DECTOFRAC
This function will attempt to convert the given decimal value into a
fraction.
Parameter

Type

Description

Value

Number

The decimal value to convert to a fraction

Format

Boolean

Specifies whether to add HTML formatting to the

result string around the numerator and demoninator.

Example:
DECTOFRAC(0.5,FALSE)

LOGIC FUNCTIONS

DECTOFRAC(0.5,FALSE)

DECTOFRAC(0.5,TRUE)

1/2

¹/₂

COMPARESTR
This function can be used to compare the contents of a field with a
value or the contents of another field.
Parameter

Type

Description

Field Name

Field

The name of the field to evaluate.

Value

String

The value to compare against the contents of the field.

True Value

String

(Optional) If the contents of the field matches the

given value, this parameter will be used as the output
of this command.

False Value

String

(Optional) If the contents of the field does not match

the given value, this parameter will be used as the
output of this command.

Example:
Comparing a field with a fixed value:
COMPARESTR(Description, 'abcdefg', 'Match', 'No Match')

If the 'Description' field contains 'abcdefg' then 'Match' will be

output; if the field does not contain 'abcdefg' then 'No Match' will
be output.
Compare a field with another field:
To compare against the value of another field, use the FIELDSTR
command as the second parameter to the COMPARESTR command.
COMPARESTR('Short Description', FIELDSTR('Long
Description'), 'Match', 'No Match')

In this example, the contents of the 'Description' field will be

compared with the contents of the 'Long Description' field.

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LOGIC FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

IF
Unlike the 'COMPARESTR' command, the 'IF' command also allows an
operator to be specified to make more complex comparisons.
Parameter

Type

Description

Operand

String

The first field or value to compare

The operator to use in the comparison - valid
operands are:

Operator

String

<

Less than

>

Greater than

Equal to

<= Less than or equal to

>= Greater than or equal to
<> Not equal to
Operand

String

The second field or value to compare.

True Value

String

(Optional) The value to output if the comparsion

evaluates to true.

False Value

String

(Optional) The value to output if the comparison

evaluates to false.

Example:
To compare the contents of a field against a fixed value:
IF

(FIELDSTR(Price),

'<',

'100',

'Less

than

100',

'Greater than 100')

To compare the contents of a field against the contents of another

field:
IF

(FIELDSTR(Price),

'=',

FIELDSTR('Sale

Price'),

'Prices Match', 'No Price Match')

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LOGIC FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

AND
This function will return TRUE if the values of all of its arguments are
true.
Parameter

Type

Argument

String

...

...

Description
A value to test
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

Example:
AND(IF (FIELDSTR(Price), '>', 10), IF (FIELDSTR(Availability),
'=', 'TRUE'))
Price

Availability

AND

10.00

TRUE

FALSE

15.00

TRUE

TRUE

17.50

FALSE

FALSE

OR
This function will return TRUE if the values of any of its arguments
are true.
Parameter

Type

Argument

String

...

...

Description
A value to test
This function can have as many arguments as
required.

Example:
OR(IF (FIELDSTR(Price), '>', 10), IF (FIELDSTR(Availability),
'=', 'TRUE'))

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

Availability

OR

5.00

TRUE

TRUE

6.75

FALSE

FALSE

10.00

TRUE

TRUE

15.00

TRUE

TRUE

17.50

FALSE

TRUE

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LOGIC FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

NOT
Returns the logical opposite of the first parameter.
Parameter

Type

Argument

Boolean

Description
A value to test

Example:
NOT(FIELDSTR(myflag))

GROUP FUNCTIONS

myflag

NOT(FIELDSTR(myflag)

TRUE

FALSE

FALSE

TRUE

GROUPLIST
GROUPLIST will take values from the nominated field and create a

delimited list.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The name of a field to sort the values by

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we want

to create a list of.

First
Separator

String

(Optional) The first separator to use in the delimited

list.

Regular
Separator

String

(Optional) The separator to use between entries in the

delimited list.

Last
Separator

String

(Optional) The separator to use between the

penultimate and last item in the delimited list.

Example:
GROUPLIST('Parent

Category:Child

Category','Price',

'Price',',',',', ' and ')

In this example, the field will be populated with a comma delimited

list of all Price fields in each 'Child Category' group, sorted by 'Price'.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

GROUPLIST

15.00

10.00, 15.00 and 20.00

10.00

10.00, 15.00 and 20.00

20.00

10.00, 15.00 and 20.00

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPSUM
GROUPSUM will create a mathematical total of the contents of a
nominated field within a group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we total.

Example:
GROUPSUM('Parent Category:Child Category','Price')

This command will total all of the Price fields within the Child Category
grouping.
Price

GROUPSUM

15.00

45.00

10.00

45.00

20.00

45.00

GROUPRTOTAL
GROUPRTOTAL will create running total of the values in a group. Unlike

GROUPSUM, this function will populate each record in the group

with the total up to that point in the group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The name of the field to sort the records by in the

group..

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we total.

Example:
GROUPRTOTAL('Parent Category:Child Category','Price','Price')

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Price

GROUPSUM

10.00

10.00

15.00

25.00

20.00

45.00

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPAVG
GROUPAVG will create a mathematical average of the contents of a
nominated field within a group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we want

to average.

Example:
GROUPAVG('Parent Category:Child Category','Price')

This command will return the average all of the Price fields within the
Child Category grouping.
Price

GROUPAVG

15.00

15.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

15.00

GROUPMAX
GROUPMAX will return the maximum numerical value of a nominated

field within a group.

Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we find

the maximum value in.

Example:
GROUPMAX('Parent Category:Child Category','Price')

This command will return the maximum value of the 'Price' field in
the Child Category group.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

GROUPMAX

15.00

20.00

10.00

20.00

20.00

20.00

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPMIN
GROUPMIN will the minimum numerical value of a nominated field

within a group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Value Field

String

The name of the field that contains the values we find

the minimum value in.

Example:
GROUPMIN('Parent Category:Child Category','Price')

This command will return the minimum value of the 'Price' field in the
Child Category group.
Price

GROUPMIN

15.00

10.00

10.00

10.00

20.00

10.00

GROUPFIRST
GROUPFIRST will return the first value of a nominated field within a
group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The field to sort the records in the group by.

Value Field

String

The field that we want to retrieve the value from.

Example:
GROUPFIRST('Parent Category:Child Category','Price', 'Price')

This command will first sort the 'Price' field into ascending 'Price'
order and return the first value.

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Price

GROUPFIRST

10.00

10.00

15.00

10.00

20.00

10.00

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPLAST
GROUPLAST will return the last value of a nominated field within a

group.

Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The field to sort the records in the group by.

Value Field

String

The field that we want to retrieve the value from.

Example:
GROUPLAST('Parent Category:Child Category','Price', 'Price')

This command will first sort the 'Price' field into ascending 'Price'
order and return the last value.
Price

GROUPLAST

10.00

20.00

15.00

20.00

20.00

20.00

GROUPSEQUENCE
Each record in the nominated group will receive the next value from
a given list of values.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The field to sort the records in the group by.

Value Field

String

A colon-delimited list to populate each record in the

group with.

Example:
GROUPSEQUENCE('Parent Category:Child Category','Inc VAT Price',
'A:B:C:D')

This function will evaluate to 'A' for the first record in the Child
Category group; 'B' for the second, etc. Once all vaues in the list
have been exhausted, EasyCatalog will continue with the first,
second, etc.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Inc VAT Price

GROUPSEQUENCE

10.00

15.00

20.00

17.50

19.00

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPCOUNTUNIQUE
This function returns the number of unique values in a nominated
field within a group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Field

String

The field to count the number of unique instances in

Example:
GROUPCOUNTUNIQUE('Parent Category:Child Category','Price')
Price

GROUPCOUNTUNIQUE

10.00

15.00

15.00

17.50

17.50

This function will evaluate to the same value for every record in the
group.
GROUPCOUNT
This function returns the number of records in each group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Example:
GROUPCOUNT('Parent Category:Child Category')
Price

GROUPCOUNT

10.00

15.00

15.00

17.50

17.50

This function will evaluate to the same value for every record in the
group.

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPSERIES
This function can be used to populate the custom field with a
numerical series within each group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The name of the field to sort the records in the group

by

Start

Integer

An integer to start at

Increment

Integer

A value to increase the integer by for each record in

the group.

Example:
GROUPSERIES('Parent Category:Child Category', 'Price', 10,100)
Price

GROUPSERIES

10.00

10

15.00

110

15.00

210

17.50

310

17.50

410

GROUPONCHANGE
This function will evaluate to TRUE each time a nominated field within
a group changes value, FALSE otherwise.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The name of the field to sort the records in the group

by

Field

String

The field to evaluate

Example:
GROUPONCHANGE('Parent Category:Child Category', 'Price', 'Price')

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

GROUPCOUNTUNIQUE

10.00

TRUE

15.00

TRUE

15.00

FALSE

15.00

FALSE

17.50

TRUE

17.50

FALSE

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPISFIRST
This function returns 'TRUE' for the first 'n' number of records in the
specified group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

A field to sort the records by within the group.

Number of
records

Integer

The number of records to return 'TRUE' for.

Example:
GROUPISFIRST('Parent Category:Child Category', 'Price', 2)
Price

GROUPISFIRST

5.00

TRUE

10.00

TRUE

15.00

FALSE

17.50

FALSE

GROUPISLAST
This function returns 'TRUE' for the last 'n' number of records in the
specified group.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

A field to sort the records by within the group.

Number of
records

Integer

The number of records to return 'TRUE' for.

Example:
GROUPISLAST('Parent Category:Child Category', 'Price', 2)

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Price

GROUPISLAST

5.00

FALSE

10.00

FALSE

15.00

TRUE

17.50

TRUE

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPSERIESONFIELDCHANGE
Populate a group with a numerical series that increments each time
a given field changes value.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

A field to sort the records by within the group.

Each time the value of this field changes, the value
returned by this function will be incremented.

Field Name

Field Name

Start Value

Integer

An integer to start from

Increment

Integer

Each time the specified field changes value, the value

returned by this function will be incremented by the
amount specified by this parameter.

Example:
GROUPSERIESONFIELDCHANGE('Parent Category:Child Category',
'Price', 'Price', 1, 10)
Price

GROUPSERIESONFIELDCHANGE

5.00

5.00

10.00

11

15.00

21

17.50

31

GROUPNUMBERSEQUENCE
Compiles a list of numbers into a page range-style list.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Number
Field

String

The name of the field containing the numbers to

collate

Example:
GROUPNUMBERSEQUENCE('Parent Category:Child Category', 'Page')

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Page

GROUPNUMBERSEQUENCE

1, 3-5,7,10

1, 3-5,7,10

1, 3-5,7,10

1, 3-5,7,10

1, 3-5,7,10

10

1, 3-5,7,10

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GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GROUPXREFFIELD
This function will search within each group for a record whose field
content matches a given value, and will return the value of another
field for the found record.
Parameter
Group Path

Type

Description

String

The grouping configuration to use

Search Field

Field

The name of the field to search in

Search Value

String

The value to search for in the 'Search Field'

Return Field

Field

The name of the field to return from the matching

record.

Example:
GROUPXREFFIELD('Parent Category:Child Category','PartNo',F
IELDSTR('XRefPartNo'),'Page')

This example will search for a record whose 'PartNo' field contains
the value of this record's 'XRefPartNo' field. When one is found,
the contents of its 'Page' field will be returned. Unlike XREFFIELD,
however, this function will only search within each group (not the
entire data source).
GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD / GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE
These two functions are used to build cross tables that have a finite
number of columns. A cross table is a matrix-style table that contains
both a variable number of rows and columns, and is typically used to
produce a matrix of product options and prices.
Consider the following data that contains two products - 'AAA123'
and 'BBB321'. Both products are available in a number of colours,
but 'BBB321' is only available is red and green (no blue).

To paginate a table that contains product codes vertically and colours

horizontally, a function is required that will cross reference these two
fields.
product code
AAA123
BBB321

red
$10.00
$15.00

blue
$20.00
-

green
$20.00
$25.00

To achieve this we need to create custom fields for each of the

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CUSTOM FIELDS REFERENCE

GROUP FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

possible columns and also a field for each column header. For
example, if we know that there will be a maximum of three colours
we would create three header fields and three value fields. Using
custom fields we can then determine what the values of these new
fields should be:
GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD
The GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD function is used to determine the headers
for each column in the table. The value returned by this function will
also be used as a parameter to the GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE function
to determine the value to display in each table cell.
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use. This will limit

the scope of this function to the specified grouping.

Sort Field

String

A field to sort the records by within the group.

This will determine the order that the columns will
appear in.

Cross Field

String

The field that should be used in each column of

the table.

Header Index

Integer

The index number of this header.

Like all 'GROUP' functions, the scope of this function can be limited
to the nominated grouping. This could be used, in this example,
to prevent colours from products belonging to one department
affecting the colours from another. In this example, all products are
in the same parent group so we do not need to specify a group path.
So, assuming that we only ever have three possible colours per
product, we could create three new custom fields with the following
Custom Field functions:
Field Name

Custom Field

col1

GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD(,,colour,0)

col2

GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD(,,colour,1)

col3

GROUPCROSSTABLEHEAD(,,colour,2)

In this example, we are not interested in a particular group (as we

want the table to list all available colours from any product), or in
sorting the records. This function will look at all unique values in the
'colour' field and pick one (0 = the first colour; 1 = the second, etc).
GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE
The GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE function is used to determine the value
to display in each table cell.

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use. This will limit

the scope of this function to the specified grouping.

PAGE 192

GROUP FUNCTIONS

Parameter

(CONTINUED)

Type

Description

Sort Field

String

A field to sort the records by within the group.

This will determine the order that the columns will
appear in.

Cross Field

String

The field that should be used in each column of

the table.

Search Field

String

The field value to find in the 'Cross Field' field

Value Field

String

The field to use in the table

Empty Value

String

The value of this parameter will be used if the

Search Field cannot be found.

The 'GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE' function is used to determine the value

that should appear at each intersection of the table. This function
should be used in conjunction with the 'GROUPCROSSTABLEHEADER'
function to determine the cross references.
Field Name

Custom Field

col1value

GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE('product code','','colour','col1','price','-')

col2value

GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE('product code','','colour','col2','price','-')

col3value

GROUPCROSSTABLEVALUE('product code','','colour','col3','price','-')

In essence, this function is searching the 'colour' field for the value
shown in the 'col1'/'col2'/'col3' field. When found, the value in the
'price' field will be used; if it's not found then the literal value of the
last parameter will be used ('-') instead.
In this example, we want to restrict the search for colours to a single
product, so have specified 'product code' as the group path.
Using a combination of these two commands gives the following
result in the panel:

This data panel can now be used to create a table such as:
product code
AAA123
BBB321

red
$10.00
$15.00

blue
$20.00
-

green
$20.00
$25.00

Using EasyCatalog's Table Column Options, any empty columns can

be deleted after populating the table. So, for example, if one group
only has two colours the third, empty, column could be deleted.

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UTILITY FUNCTIONS

SNIPPETDEPTH/SNIPPETWIDTH
Returns the depth or width in points of the given snippet. The path
provided for the snippet file can either be a fully qualified path or,
if just the filename is provided, EasyCatalog will look inside of the
workspace 'Assets' folder. Any Field Specifiers in the snippet will be
populated with data for each record; Pagination Rules such as fitting
to content will also be applied.
Parameter
Filename

Type
String

Description
The filename of the snippet to measure

SNIPPETDEPTH('Snippet 1.idms')
SNIPPETDEPTH('Macintosh HD:Users:InDesignUser:Snippet 1.idms')

GROUPSNIPPETDEPTH
Returns the depth in points of the given snippet. The path provided
for the snippet file can either be a fully qualified path or, if just the
filename is provided, EasyCatalog will look inside of the workspace
'Assets' folder.
Unlike SNIPPETDEPTH, GROUPSNIPPETDEPTH will populate the snippet
with data for the each group (as definied by the group path).
Parameter

Type

Description

Group Path

String

The grouping configuration to use

Sort Field

String

The name of the field to sort the records by in

the group..

Filename

String

The filename of the snippet to measure

Example:
GROUPSNIPPETDEPTH('Parent

Category:Child

Category','Price',

Category:Child

Category','Price',

'Snippet 1.idms')
GROUPSNIPPETDEPTH('Parent

'Macintosh HD:Users:InDesignUser:Snippet 1.idms')

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UTILITY FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GOOGLEQRCODEURL
Generates a Google Charts URL which will generate a QRCode with
the given content.
Parameter

Type

Description

Width

Integer

The required width of the QR Code image in pixels

(maximum 500).

Height

Integer

The required height of the QR Code image in pixels

(maximum 500).

Text

String

The content to encode within the QR Code

Example:
GOOGLEQRCODE(500,500,'http://www.65bit.com')

CALLSCRIPT
This function will return the result of executing the ExtendScript in
the given file.
Parameter

Filename

Type

Description

String

The name of the ExtendScript file to execute. This

can either be the full path to a script or, if the script
is stored in the 'Scripts' data source folder, just the
filename.

Example:
CALLSCRIPT('myscript.jsx')

The script itself will be passed the contents of the other fields for
this record in an array called 'myRecord'. An example script to
concatenate the contents of "field b" to "field a" would be:
myRecord["field a"] + myRecord["field b"];

DOESIMAGEEXIST
Tests to see whether an image exists for the given field. The specified
field's picture field options will be used to determine the path to the
image.
Parameter
Field

Type
Field

Description
The name of the image field

Example:
DOESIMAGEXIST('mypicturefield')

If the image exists this function will return TRUE; if it doen't the
function will return FALSE.

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UTILITY FUNCTIONS
(CONTINUED)

GETNTHPOPULATEDPARAM
Returns the n'th non-empty parameter.
Parameter
Field Index

Type

Description

Integer

The index of the parameter to return, starting

from zero.

Example:
GETNTHPOPULATEDPARAM(0,'a','','c','d','','e')
GETNTHPOPULATEDPARAM(0,'a','','c','d','','e')
a
GETNTHPOPULATEDPARAM(1,'a','','c','d','','e')
c

XREFFIELD
This function will search the data source for a record whose field
content matches a given value, and will return the value of another
field for the found record.
Parameter

Type

Search Field

Field

The name of the field to search in

Search Value

String

The value to search for in the 'Search Field'

Return Field

Field

The name of the field to return from the matching

record.

String

(Optional) The name of another EasyCatalog data

source to search within. This option applies to the
Search Field and Return Field parameters; the
Search Value will be retrieved from fields in the
current data source.

Data Source

Description

Example:
XREFFIELD('PartNo',FIELDSTR('XRefPartNo'),'Page')

This example will search for a record whose 'PartNo' field contains
the value of this record's 'XRefPartNo' field. When one is found, the
contents of its 'Page' field will be returned.

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CONDITIONAL PROCESSING

CHAPTER 14

CONDITIONAL PROCESSING
INTRODUCTION

Conditional Processing is a simple scripting-like language that

allows decisions to be made by EasyCatalog during pagination
operations. For example, content can be inserted or excluded based
on the value of one of the fields being paginated.
Conditional Processing can be used in document template designs,
EasyCatalog Libraries or during automatic pagination.
Conditional Logic Example

Logic statements are included in the standard InDesign text flow and are
processed by EasyCatalog before populating Field Specifiers.

THE IF COMMAND

The IF command is used to include or exclude portions of text in a

Product Style if an expression evaluates to true.
The IF command consists of four parts: the command name itself,
two operands and one operator.
The if command must be enclosed within @@ to distinguish it from other text

The operator

The operands - to compare with the contents of fields, enclose the field
name within { and }

Each @@if command must be terminated by a corresponding @@endif

command

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CONDITIONAL PROCESSING

THE IF COMMAND
(CONTINUED)

The types of the operands must be the same - for example, it is

illegal to compare a numeric field to an alphanumeric field. A fields
type is defined by the Field Options dialog.
These fields must be defined in Field Options as the same type - i.e. they
must both be alphanumeric or numeric

Alphanumeric Fields
All comparisons are case insensitive - therefore, abc is equivalent
to ABC. Undesired results may occur when fields that are defined
as alphanumeric contain numeric data. For example, 155 is less
than 19 as a comparison is made on each character in the field and
not the actual numeric content. It is critical to ensure that where a
numeric comparison is required, the field is defined as numeric.
When comparing against a fixed value, operands must be enclosed
within either single or double quotes.
Comparing Alphanumeric Fields
The field types of each operand must match - in this example, yes
is enclosed in single quotes as myalphafield is defined as being
alphanumeric in FieldOptions

Numeric Fields
Comparisons are made on the numeric content of fields - therefore,
in the example shown above, 155 is greater than 19 when fields
are defined as numeric.

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CONDITIONAL PROCESSING

THE IF COMMAND
(CONTINUED)

Valid Operators
Operator

Meaning

is equal to

<

is less than

>

is greater than

>=

is greater than or equal to

<=

is less than or equal to

<>

is not equal to

CONTAINS

The content of text fields can be checked to see if they contain a

value - e.g.
@@if {myfield} CONTAINS abc@@

THE ELSE
COMMAND

Where alternative action must be taken in the event of the if

expression evaluating to false, the @@else command may be
included.

NESTING IF
COMMANDS

If statements can be nested within other if statements. For

example, the following situation is valid:
Nesting IF commands

@@if {price} < 1000

@@if {availability} = 0
Out of Stock!
@@else
Available in [availability] days
@@endif
@@endif

SPECIAL FIELD
NAMES

@@if commands can be nested/

enclosed within other @@if
commands to make decisions based
on the content of more than one field.
In this example, the availability of the
item will only be shown if its price is
less than $1000, and the text Out of
Stock will be used if the availability
field is set to 0.

EasyCatalog also offers special reserved field names that can be

used as part of the logic statement to determine, for example, the
position of a record within its parent group.
Field

Description

{first}

Returns yes if the record is the first record in its parent

group; no if it is not.

{last}

Returns yes if the record is the last record in its parent

group; no if it is not.

{index}

Returns the index number of the record being paginated

within its parent group - i.e. the first record would have an
index number of 1, the second would be 2, etc.

{odd}

Returns: yes if the index number of the record within its

parent group is odd; no if it is even.
continued...

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CONDITIONAL PROCESSING

SPECIAL FIELD
NAMES
(CONTINUED)

Field

Description

{even}

Returns: yes if the index number of the record within its

parent group is even; no if it is odd.

{onlyrecord}

Returns yes if the record being paginated is the only one

in its group.

{countunique
fieldname}

Counts the number of unique values for the given field within
the records group.

{length fieldname}

Returns the number of characters in the given field.

Special Field Names Example

@@if {first} = 'yes'

This is the first record!
@@endif
In this example, the special field name first will return yes if the record being
processed is the first record in its group.
Example of countunique

@@if {countunique Price} = 1

Only [Price]
@@else
From [Price]
@@endif
The countunique keyword counts the number of unique values in the given field
and is useful, as shown in this example, for determining whether the pricing for
a group of records should be shown as From or Only. If there is only one price
for all records in the group being paginated, the text Only will be used; if there
is more than one price the word From will be used.

ERROR MESSAGES

Type Mismatch Error

All operands in the if statement must be of the same type (as defined
in Field Options). When comparing against static values, be sure to
include alphanumeric content in single or double quotes.
If myalphafield is defined as alphanumeric, the following example is
illegal and will result in a type mismatch error:
@@if {myalphafield} = abc@@
Because myfield is alphanumeric, include the right-hand operand in
quotes:
@@if {myalphafield} = 'abc'@@
Similarly, if mynumericfield is defined as being one of the numeric
types in Field Options, the following example is illegal:
@@if {mynumericfield} = '123'@@
It should read:
@@if {mynumericfield} = 123@@

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CONDITIONAL PROCESSING

ERROR MESSAGES
(CONTINUED)

@@if without matching @@endif

Each @@if command must have a corresponding number of
terminating @@endif commands. When nesting if statements (one
or more if statements within another if statement), be sure to include
the correct number of @@endif commands.
For example, the following example is illegal as there are two @@if
commands but only one @@endif.
@@if {myfield} > 10@@myfield is greater than 10!
@@if {anotherfield} = 1@@anotherfield contains 1!
@@endif@@

Too many @@elses

Only one @@else command is allowed within the body of an @@if
command - the following is illegal:
@@if {myfield} > 10@@Do this
@@else@@Otherwise, do this
@@else@@Or do this
@@endif@@

Illegal number of tokens

Each command must contain a specific number of parts, or tokens the following example is illegal:
@@if {myfield} > 12 < 20@@
The if command must consist of one left-hand operand, on operator
and one right-hand operand only.

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PAGE HEADERS

CHAPTER 15

PAGE HEADERS

Furniture options are only available with the optional EasyCatalog Pagination module.

INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog supports the automatic population of page headers

based on the content of each page through the use of a function
called Furniture.
Furniture page items are usually found on master pages, and are
typically used for page headers, etc, that should contain summary
information for the records placed on the page or spread.
For example, if youre paginating a directory, using Furniture it is
possible to create a page header that contains details of the last
entry on a spread.

DEFINING FURNITURE

Furniture boxes are designed on the page using Field Specifiers, in

exactly the same way as Product Styles are defined for EasyCatalog
Libraries. Typically, furniture page items will be included as part of
the master page design to ensure that they are present on each page
of the document after pages have been inserted by Pagination.

Use the Pagination Rules panel to define the boxes that should be populated
with Furniture data.

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PAGE HEADERS

DEFINING FURNITURE
(CONTINUED)

Furniture is an attribute that is applied to a page item using the

Pagination Rules panel. The record data to use to populate the page
items must also be specified using the Populate Using attribute.
Populate Using

Description

First item on page

The box will be populated with the content of the first

record on the page. The first is determined to be the
record that is nearest to the top-left corner of the page

Last item on page

Populate with the content of the last record on the page.

The last is determined to be the record closest to the
bottom-right of the page.

First item on
document

Populate with the first record in the document - the

record thats closest to the top-left of the first spread.

First item on spread

Populate with the first record on the spread.

Last item on spread

Populate with the last record on the spread.

Last item on
document

Populate with the last record in the document - the

record nearest the bottom-right of the last spread.

The Populate Using attribute can also be applied to group boxes

- each box in the group will be populated with the record data
determined by the Populate Using attribute.

POPULATING
FURNITURE

Use the Update Furniture panel menu option to populate all Furniture
page items in the document.
Furniture page items will be populated in the same manner as
Product Styles Field Specifiers will be replaced with field data.
Once populated, Furniture page items can be updated again at a
later time using the Update Furniture menu option.

The Furniture box has been populated with the data for the last record on the
page - the record closest to the bottom-right of the page.

If your Furniture page item is on a master page, it will be overridden

in the document page prior to being updated.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

CHAPTER 16

THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

INTRODUCTION

The EasyCatalog Record Viewer Panel presents your data a single

record at a time, making working with records containing a large
number of fields easy.
Using the Record Viewer panel, you can view individual records,
quickly filter and place your data on the page. To help to identify
fields already placed in the document, the Record Viewer panel can
also show the record(s) in the current document selection.
This panel is only available in EasyCatalog 2.1.1 or later.

THE RECORD VIEWER

PANEL OVERVIEW

Using the Record Viewer panel, you can import, filter and place your data
in the document.
Use the Data Sources pop-up menu to import your data or switch to data
youve previously imported
Further options are
available from the popout menu
Quickly filter your data
using the Find options.

Data for the currently

selected record is shown
in the main area of the
panel.
Step through the records
in the data source using
the scroll-bar or the arrow
buttons
The index number of the current record is shown here. Jump directly to a
record by entering its number here.
Insert the selected field in the document

If the Record Viewer panel is

not visible, show it using the
WindowEasyCatalog
Record
Viewer menu option.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

FINDING RECORDS

EasyCatalog offers a number of ways to step through the records

from you data source, and can also filter the records shown based
on the content of their fields.
Finding Records in the Panel

The records shown in the EasyCatalog Record Viewer panel can be filtered
using the Find edit box.
Enter the text to search for here

Choose the
type of search

The position of
the search text
is highlighted in
the key field

The number of records matching

your search criteria
The scroll-bars and scroll buttons will step through all records where the key
field matches the search criteria

Moving Sequentially through the records

Either use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the panel,
or use the left and right scroll buttons to move a record at a
time. If the panel is filtered using the Find options (below), the next/
previous record matching the search criteria will be shown.
By Index number
Jump straight to a record by entering its index number into the edit
field at the bottom of the Record Viewer panel.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

FINDING RECORDS
(CONTINUED)

Filtering Records
The records shown when stepping using the scroll-bar/arrow buttons
can be filtered by entering search criteria into the Find text box.

Key Fields
Key fields containing the text entered into the Find field will be
shown in the panel. Only records whose key fields contain the text
entered will be shown in the panel. To search for an exact match,
enter the search term in double quotes - e.g. "11SS"

Text
All fields containing the text entered into the Find field will be shown
in the panel. To search for an exact match, enter the search term in
double quotes - e.g. "11SS"

Expression
Enter a regular expression into the Find field. The complete syntax
of regular expressions is outside of the scope of this documentation,
but a number of tutorials are available on the internet. Examples of
some of the most useful expressions are shown in the table below:
Example

^12

Shows all records beginning with 12

12$

Shows records ending with 12

^1.*2$

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Results

Shows records that begin with 1 and end with 2

1.2

Shows all records that contain 1 followed by any character

followed by 2

1.*2

Shows all records that contain 1 followed by any number

of characters followed by a 2

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

FINDING RECORDS
(CONTINUED)

Selection
The fields in the current document selection will be shown in the
panel. The names of the selected fields will be highlighted in the
Record Viewer panel.
Finding Fields Selected in the Document
The fields in the current document selection can be displayed by choosing
Selection as the search type

The selected field is highlighted

in the panel

The number of unique fields

selected in the document

Range
Enter a numeric range of record index numbers into the Find field.
Ranges and single index numbers are allowed - for example:
1,2,10-20
will display records 1, 2 and 10 thru 20 (inclusive) in the panel.

INTERACTION WITH
EASYCATALOG
PANELS

The Record Viewer will automatically update to show the range of

records selected in any of your EasyCatalog data panels. A Range
filter will be applied to the Record View panel to allow you to step
through each of the selected records.
Note that the data source selected in the data source pop-up must
match the data source of the EasyCatalog panel for the filter to be
applied.

INSERTING FIELDS

To insert a field, select it in the panel and either use the insert button
in the bottom left of the panel. The current document
selection will determine whether the field content is
inserted as text, or if an image is imported.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

INSERTING FIELDS
(CONTINUED)

Text Selection
The field will be inserted at the current text insertion point, replacing
any text that is selected. If a character style sheet has been defined
in the Field Options for the field being inserted, this will be applied to
the inserted text.
Picture-box Selection
The picture for the selected field will be inserted into the picture
box. The content of the field determines how much configuration is
required in the Field Options:
Field Options for the selected field can be
edited using the Field Options menu option on
the panels pop-out menu.

If the field contains a full path to an image, such as Macintosh

HD:Pictures:1234.jpg, the image will be imported from this
location and no configuration is required.

If the field contains only the filename of the image, such as 1234.
jpg, the Content Location must be configured in the fields Field
Options dialog.

If the field contains only part of the filename, such as 1234, you
may also need to specify the file type extension (e.g. .jpg) in the
Field Options dialog.

Pictures can also be optionally scaled and aligned using the

configuration options available in the Field Options dialog.
The frame will be tagged with the key field of the record - this is a
visual aid to help to identify which record a picture belongs to.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

INSERTING MULTIPLE
RECORDS

Multiple records can be inserted automatically into the document, or

into an existing table, using the Copy and Repeat menu option from
the Record Viewer panels pop-out menu.
Automatically Inserting Text
The current text-selection can be repeated for each record selected
in the Record Viewer panel. By creating a simple prototype for a
single record, multiple records can be inserted pre-formatted at
the click of a button.
Create a prototype for a single record.

Begin by defining how a single record should appear in the document

- do this by inserting fields from the panel and applying character
and paragraph formatting to the prototype.
Select the prototype text

Select the text you want to use as the prototype in the document.
Use the Find options to filter the data in the panel

The records currently displayed in the panel will be placed in the

document. Use the Find options to filter the content of the panel
so that it contains just the records you would like to insert into the
document.
Select Copy and Repeat from the Record Viewer panel popout menu.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

INSERTING MULTIPLE
RECORDS
(CONTINUED)

Automatically Inserting Table Rows

Table rows can also be repeated for each record selected in the
Record Viewer panel. Again, by defining a prototype row that defines
how each record should appear in the table, multiple records can be
inserted at the click of a button.
Create a prototype for a single record.

Define a single prototype row in the table, by inserting fields into the
correct cells and applying character and paragraph formatting where
appropriate.
Note that sufficient rows should be present in the table to
accommodate the amount of data being used - new rows will not be
automatically inserted.
Select the prototype row(s)

Select the row or rows that should be used as a prototype for all of
the records being inserted into the document. Multiple table rows
can be used for each record being inserted into the table.
Use the Find options to filter the data in the panel

Select Copy and Repeat from the Record Viewer panel popout menu.

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

THE RECORD VIEWER

PANEL MENU

Insert Field
Inserts the selected field in the document. The same can be achieved
by selecting the field in the panel and using the the insert button.
Show/Hide Field Markers
The marker characters around each field can be hidden or shown
at any time using the Show/Hide Field Markers menu option. The
visibility of the marker characters is a document setting, so it is
possible to set the visibility of the markers in individual documents.

Field marker characters are never shown when

the document is in Preview mode, and field
markers on graphic frames will not be shown
when Hide Frame Edges has been selected.

Synchronize with Data Source

Retrieves the latest data for the data source selected in the Data
Source pop-up. The data that is imported into EasyCatalog is cached
locally each time a Synchronize with Data Source is performed -this allows you to continue working with data even when the data
source (such as a database) is not currently available.
Data Source Info...
Display information about the data source selected in the datasources pop-up menu:

The current data source can be deleted using the Delete button on
the Information dialog. Any open EasyCatalog panels for this data
source will be closed, and the data source will be removed from your
local workspace folder.
Update Document
To ensure your document always contains the latest data from your
data source, or to correct any changes that may have been incorrectly

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THE RECORD VIEWER PANEL

THE RECORD VIEWER

PANEL MENU
(CONTINUED)

made to data in your document, use the Update Document menu

option.
Only fields which need updating will be updated in the document,
and any character-level formatting will be preserved where possible
by merging the changes into the document rather than replacing the
entire content of the fields.

Only fields for the data source selected in the

data-sources pop-up menu will be updated in
the document.

All
Update all of the fields in the document.

Selection
Only update the fields in the current document selection.

Copy and Repeat

Multiple records can be inserted by defining a simple prototype for
how each record should appear in the document. See Inserting
Multiple Records (above) for further information.
Field Options
The configuration of each of the fields shown in the panel can be
edited at any time using the Field Options menu. Select a field to
edit in the panel, followed by the Field Options menu option.
About...
Displays the About EasyCatalog... dialog, which also allows the
software to be activated once a serial number has been purchased.

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TEMPLATE DATA SOURCES

CHAPTER 17

TEMPLATE DATA SOURCES

INTRODUCTION

After a data source has been created, it can be used as the basis
for creating other data sources. This feature is useful where, for
example, multiple files in the same format need to be imported.

Template data sources can currently only be

defined for File, ODBC and XML Data sources.

For ODBC data sources, parameters can also be specified in the

SQL query. When opening an ODBC data source template, the user
will be prompted for the values for these parameters.

CREATING A DATA
SOURCE TEMPLATE

The first step is to create a standard EasyCatalog data source,

ensuring that you configure all settings (such as field options, etc)
that you would want to be used when creating data sources.

ODBC Data Sources Only

When configuring an ODBC Data Source template, parameters
can be included in the SQL statement. When opening a new data
source based on this template, the values for these parameters will
be prompted for.
Parameters are included in {{ braces }} within the SQL statement:
Using Parameters in ODBC Data Provider Templates

Include parameters in the query inside {{ braces }}. These parameters will be
substituted with values entered by the user when creating a new data source
from this template.

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TEMPLATE DATA SOURCES

CREATING A DATA
SOURCE TEMPLATE

From the data panel you have

(CONTINUED)

just created, use the Close Panel

menu option.

Go to InDesignPreferences
EasyCatalog (on Macintosh) or
EditP referencesE asyCatalog
(on Windows).

Press the Reveal button at the

top of the dialog that appears.
Go into the highlighted folder.
Inside, you should see a folder for
each of the data sources you have
created.
Move the folder for the data source you just created into the
EasyCatalog Data Source Templates folder.
This folder is created by EasyCatalog

DRAG

Switch back into InDesign.

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TEMPLATE DATA SOURCES

CREATING A DATA
SOURCE TEMPLATE

At the top of the FileNewEasyCatalog Panel menu, you should see

your template listed as a new data source type.

(CONTINUED)

Template Data Sources appear at the top of the FileNewEasyCatalog

Panel menu.

OPENING A NEW
DATA SOURCE FROM
A TEMPLATE

To open a data source template,

FileNewEasyCatalog Panel menu.

select

it

from

the

Field options for the new data source will default to those specified
when the template was created, and any configurations that have
been set-up will also be available from the Configurations menu.
File-based Data Sources
When opening a file-based data source template, a file-chooser
dialog will be presented. After selecting the data file to load, a new
data panel will be presented.
ODBC Data Sources
Any parameters that were included in the SQL will be prompted for.

MODIFYING A DATA
SOURCE TEMPLATE

To modify a data source template:

Drag the templates folder from the EasyCatalog Data Source
Templates folder into your EasyCatalog workspace folder.
Open the data source from the FileNewEasyCatalog Panel
menu.
Edit the data source.
Use the Close Panel menu option to close the data source.
Move the data source folder into the EasyCatalog Data Source
Templates folder.

!
DELETING A DATA
SOURCE TEMPLATE

Modifications to the template do not affect data

sources already created from the template.

Templates should be deleted by removing the relevant folder from

the EasyCatalog Data Source Templates folder.

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REPORTS

CHAPTER 18

REPORTS
INTRODUCTION

EasyCatalog provides simple reports showing the contents of the

panel, data source or front-most document.
All reports are generated as XML, and by default all reports generated
will be shown in your default web-browser.

REPORT TYPES

EasyCatalog currently offers three types of report, available from

the Reports menu, which can be found on your EasyCatalog data
panel.

Data Source Report

This report shows all records and fields in the data source in a similar
format to the EasyCatalog data panel.
If the record or field is placed on the front-most document it will be
shown in red or green to show its status.
Panel Report
This report will shown only the records that are in the panel. They will
appear in the same order as the panel obeying any sorting, grouping
and filtering options you have configured.
If the record or field is placed on the front-most document it will be
shown in red or green to show its status.
Document Report
Generates a report showing the links in the front-most document.
The page number the link is placed on, and information about the
data source and key field it is linked to is included in the report.

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REPORTS

REPORT TYPES

Example Document Report

(CONTINUED)

Data source
name

Page number the

field is placed on:
OM indicates the
field is in overmatter.

Field name

Key field value

Field content

This report is useful when you have a link in the document and you
cannot determine which data source it is linked to: simply copy the
link to a new document and then run this report.

XML REPORTS

All of the above reports are generated as an XML file, which is

stored in an EasyCatalog Reports folder inside of your EasyCatalog
workspace folder. This XML file is then opened in your default webbrowser.

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APPLICATION PREFERENCES

CHAPTER 19

APPLICATION PREFERENCES
INTRODUCTION

Available from the standard InDesign

preferences menu, EasyCatalog provides a new
EasyCatalog pane on the standard application
Preferences dialog.

The EasyCatalog panel offers preferences that affect the general behavior of the
plug-in - they are not preferences for the current, front-most document.

THE WORKSPACE
FOLDER

The Workspace Folder

The Workspace Folder specifies the location of the folder

EasyCatalog uses to cache data from the data source. The location
of this folder is not important - it is typically located on each client
machine and should be accessible by EasyCatalog each time it is
launched.

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APPLICATION PREFERENCES
By default, your workspace folder will be configured to be:
Macintosh:
Windows:

Documents:EasyCatalog Workspace
My Documents/EasyCatalog Workspace

Multiple Users Share This Workspace

Enable this check box when the workspace folder is being shared
by multiple users. The configuration of data sources - such as field
options, data source options, etc - will be stored in the workspace
folder. The snapshot of data will be stored locally on each machine.
If another user changes the configuration of a shared workspace data
source, it may be required that the Synchronize With Data Source
menu option is used before the field options can be edited.

CONTENT TRACKING

Content Tracking

Enable Content Tracking

This preference determines whether the document content should
be tracked - whether the Field Marker characters should be inserted
into the document. If this option is not set, the document can never
be updated with changes to the data (as EasyCatalog does not know
where each field is placed).
Field tracking can be disabled for individual fields using the Content
Tracked Field Option.

If Enable Content Tracking is turned off, fields

placed on your document cannot be updated and
are not linked to your source data.

Dynamically Update Panel

When set, EasyCatalog will dynamically apply document changes to
the panel. For instance, when a field is removed from the document
its placed status will be updated in the panel. This dynamic tracking
is useful for viewing those records that are placed, although does
introduce a slight performance overhead.
With this option turned off, you must manually perform a Synchronise
with Document operation to update the panels.

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APPLICATION PREFERENCES

CONTENT TRACKING
(CONTINUED)

Synchronize Panel After Update

After an Update Document or Synchronize with Data Source
operation, EasyCatalog will re-synchronise with the document
automatically. Any discrepancies between the document and data
will be highlighted, and any placed fields will be shown in the panel.

ALLOW PAGINATION
TO BE UNDOABLE
ONLY AVAILABLE WITH THE
PAGINATION MODULE

The Allow pagination to be undoable option speeds up automatic pagination by

disabling the undo support in InDesign

EasyCatalog CS2 Pagination Module only

Select this option to disable InDesigns undo and redo functionality
during automatic pagination. This has a significant impact on
performance - note, however, that the pagination option will not be
undoable and undo/redo history for the document you are paginating
into will be lost.

DATA SOURCE
DEFAULTS
Check the Ignore White Space Changes check box to turn this option on
automatically for new data sources created

Ignore White Space Changes

Further information on the functionality of this option can be found in
the Field Options chapter.

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APPLICATION PREFERENCES

HTTP AUTHENTICATION
HTTP PROXY

Content Tracking

The settings specified here are used when retrieving images from a
URL, and are also used as defaults for retrieving XML data via the
XML Data Provider.
HTTP Authentication
Specify a user name and password here if the server you are
connecting to require these credentials.
HTTP Proxy
If all HTTP requests should use a proxy server, enter the address of
the proxy server and (optionally) your user name and password for
the proxy server.

KEYBOARD
SHORTCUTS

Some of the common document-based operations can have

keyboard short-cuts assigned, via the standard InDesign Keyboard
Shortcuts editor.
To edit EasyCatalogs keyboard shortcuts, go to the shortcuts editor
(from the EditKeyboard Shortcuts... menu option).

A new Product Area is available from the pop-up menu - EasyCatalog.

Select this product area to reveal the actions that can have keyboard
shortcuts assigned.

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MENU REFERENCE

CHAPTER 20

MENU REFERENCE
Create a new panel based on
this one
Remove all records from this
panel

Permanently close this panel

Prevent records from being added
or removed to this panel
Store and retrieve panel
configurations, such as column
positions, sizes, etc.

Group and ungroup the panel to

show data hierarchically

Automatic pagination (provided

by the optional Pagination
Module)
Retrieve the latest data from the
data source

Update the data source with

changes made to the data in the
InDesign document
Update the panel with changes
made to the data in the
document
Show all records from the data
source (remove any filter that
has been applied)
Apply a filter that has been
previously saved
Show or hide colums
Define Field Formatting tags,
used to include formatting
information within your data
Convert data fields in the
document selection to Field
Specifiers
Hide the Field Maker characters
in the current document
Replace instances of one
EasyCatalog field with another
Search the EasyCatalog
workspace folder for associated
Product Styles
Scan a file system for images
relating to your fields

EASYCATALOG USER GUIDE

Generate xml-based reports on the

contents of the panel, data source
or document
Update page headers and footers
(provided by the optional Pagination
Module)
Refresh the statuses of each field
shown in the panel
Update the document with changes
made to the source data
Remove the selected record(s) from
the panel
Filter the data shown in the panel
Filter the data based on its status
shown in the panel
Edit Field Options, such as field
type, for the fields in your data
Insert a Field Specifier (placeholder) where data should appear
Format table rows, columns and cells
based on information in your data
Remove EasyCatalogs field marker
characters from the document
Relink fields in the document to a
new data source
Remove a Product Style that has
been associated with this record
Display the About EasyCatalog
dialog, where the EasyCatalog can
be activated and deactivated

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